Townsville, Queensland – 28 November 2024 – We are delighted to announce the launch of Digital Estate, a digital infrastructure platform established by Energy Estate, a leading clean energy and infrastructure developer. Our vision is to connect AI demand directly with robust renewable and water resources. Digital Estate will diversify the energy and water supplies for rapidly growing global AI demand and give operators and hyperscalers access to new regions with affordable land and clean energy. New connections to Queensland, NSW and New Zealand will enhance regional security by avoiding congested regions in North Asia and enable safe and secure data storage within precincts powered by renewable energy.

CaliQueen, CaliNewy and CaliKiwi are state-of-the-art subsea data cables that will connect California with North and Central Queensland, the Hunter Valley and Northern NSW and the North and South Islands of New Zealand. These cables will unlock clean infrastructure and clean industrial estates, providing a robust and secure network and creating enduring economic opportunities for the regions. The proposed landing points in Townsville, Gladstone, Newcastle and the locations on the East Coast of New Zealand will enable the development of mega green data centers in the regions, powered by renewable energy and storage projects being developed by Energy Estate and its partners.

Digital Estate will give the AI industry access to a diversified range of some of the best global wind, solar, hydro, geothermal and water resources across Australia and New Zealand. Renewable energy resources will be complemented by 24/7 clean energy supply. For example, in North Queensland 24/7 clean energy will come from pumped hydro, flow batteries (such as locally sourced vanadium) and green hydrogen and/or green ammonia power generation.

"Regions rising - this is what drives our team at Energy Estate. We are committed to delivering enduring regional economic growth and bringing data to the power represents an immediate and realisable opportunity for regional communities in Australia and New Zealand. Green data centers will be the anchor tenants for clean infrastructure and industrial estates – attracting manufacturing, renewable fuels and other industries into our region and helping to sustainably decarbonise our existing critical industries such as resources and agriculture.” said Simon Currie, CoFounder of Energy Estate.

Digital Estate will support the growth of the AI data center industry in the region through an integrated and simple infrastructure investment model with a focus on common user infrastructure and open access. We will also will draw upon best practice principles to deliver ongoing and enduring benefits for the host communities and regions. “The global shift by the hyperscalers and data center operators in the US to seek decarbonised energy solutions underpins new robust connections to the South Pacific” said Neal Aronson, Director US of Energy Estate. “Our development principles are embedded in every facet of the cables and each data center and renewable energy and storage project – driving positive outcomes through commitments to local content and supply chains, capacity building including training and apprenticeships and prioritising employment for groups such as veterans and workers in traditional energy sectors.”

Digital Estate is committed to delivering partnerships with Traditional Owners in regional and rural Queensland and NSW and Māori in New Zealand. This exemplifies our approach of putting First Nations and regional economic development at the centre of our development principles.

"Digital Estate builds on our support for the accelerated development of Renewable Energy Industrial Precincts advocated by Beyond Zero Emissions” said Vincent Dwyer, Co-Founder of Energy Estate. “Australia and New Zealand are the perfect hosts for decarbonised and safe data storage. We are very grateful for the support and encouragement from Trade and Investment Queensland, Austrade, Townsville Enterprise Limited, Committee for the Hunter, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and Central Economic Development Agency.”

The identified locations for green data centers within clean infrastructure and industrial estates include the Barcaldine Renewable Energy Zone (with BREZ development being led by Zen Energy), Collinsville and Gladstone in Queensland; Newcastle, the Upper Hunter and New England in NSW; and Ohinewai and Te Utanganui (Palmerston North) in New Zealand.

About Energy Estate

Energy Estate is an Australian company which develops large scale renewable energy and storage projects and clean infrastructure and industrial estates. Energy Estate's mission is to accelerate the transformation of the energy sector and decarbonisation of industry with teams in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Hong Kong, Silicon Valley and London. Our track record includes North Queensland Clean Energy Hub (HyNQ), an integrated renewable energy to green exports project at Abbot Point (in partnership with CS Energy, IHI Engineering Australia and Idemitsu Renewable Developments Australia), Central Queensland Power (a joint venture with RES Australia which is partnering with CleanCo to develop a 2.3GW portfolio of projects in Central Queensland) and Kākārik, our NZ platform in partnership with Elemental Group, which is developing over 4GW of wind, solar, storage and pumped hydro projects in NZ. Our NSW track record includes the Bomen Solar Farm, Walcha Energy, Dungowan pumped hydro project and Hydrostor’s Silver City Energy Storage Centre (utilising compressed air energy storage) at Broken Hill.

In October 2024 we announced the launch of Accommodation Solutions Australia, a joint venture with Hinman Group. ASA specialises in developing and delivering sustainable worker accommodation solutions for major infrastructure projects in regional, rural, and remote Australia. With a focus on creating long-term value, ASA will address critical workforce accommodation shortages while leaving a legacy of premium manufactured homes estates that contribute to social and affordable housing needs.

Digital Estate is also backed by two new renewable energy platforms launched today by Energy Estate:

• North Queensland Power. NQP will develop wind, solar, storage, transmission and dispatchable generation projects leveraging the region's natural resources and existing infrastructure to attract new industries to NQ. The first project is the 1.2GW Gemfields Wind Farm north of Hughenden.

• Green Belt Energy. GBE is developing a large-scale portfolio of wind, solar and storage between Queensland’s Western Downs and New South Wales’ Central West. It will provide energy security and affordability to existing industries (resources, critical minerals, agriculture and transport) and attract new businesses to regional hubs.

For more information about Digital Estate and our projects in Australia, New Zealand and the United States, please visit our website or contact our engagement and partnerships team.