Anthropic inks Queensland data centre deal worth five times Olympics budget

AI giant Anthropic has signed its first deal in Australia to use a $32 billion data centre hub on Queensland's Western Downs.

The facility will be built near Dalby by a Singaporean developer and is expected to create thousands of ongoing jobs.

The Western Downs Digital Park is set to be the largest facility of its kind in the country, with a power draw comparable to 1.5 million average Australian households.

Anthropic aims to be able to start using the centre in 2027, despite the development application only being filed with the local council last month.

The ABC understands Anthropic would use the site to power its artificial intelligence program Claude to answer user questions, rather than for training AI models.

The multi-billion-dollar investment in is almost five times greater than the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games infrastructure budget.

Premier David Crisafulli said it was a direct result of his recent trade mission to the US.

"This is a major win that will deliver more jobs, put more energy into Queensland's grid and drive down power prices for Queenslanders," he said.

"My meeting with Anthropic during the trade mission was to outline why Queensland was the place to invest, with energy security, locations to invest and a streamlined approvals process to get it right."

Mr Crisafulli has promised data centre investment will drive down energy costs for consumers, and companies must add energy to the local grid.

The government said the digital park would not require any new transmission infrastructure, and would use minimal water during operation.

The Western Downs hub's water usage will be broadly comparable with a conventional office building of the same size.

The plot earmarked for the park is about 725 hectares, with the facility expected to take four to six years to build.

Anthropic's lease is subject to Foreign Investment Review Board approval.

The Queensland government and the Commonwealth recently locked horns over rules for new data centre development.

The federal Labor government had wanted all new data centres to be anchored by new renewable energy projects.

But the state LNP administration successfully argued Queensland go its own way and use a range of energy sources including coal and gas.

"To have secured Anthropic's first major investment in Australia is an endorsement for our state's open for business approach, and the commonsense decision endorsed by the prime minister and national cabinet to allow Queensland's unique position in owning its power generation and transmission assets," Mr Crisafulli said.

"This allows our state to be at the forefront of locking in data sovereignty and adding energy generation for lower power prices for Queenslanders and employment opportunities."

Anthropic will be required to invest in local communities and hire an engagement manager to ensure residents' and councils' concerns are heard.

It is understood that Anthropic would cover the full cost of connecting to the grid, including any network updates required.