Tasmania Community Hub
How we're building and investing in Northern Tasmania.
About Firmus
We're an Australian company - and our story started right here in Tasmania.
Years ago, we saw where data centres were heading: drawing more and more power and water, with little regard to conserving resources, or building in genuine sustainability. Back then, as it remains today, we set about to create the most efficient AI infrastucture - something we've been proud to develop over the past 6 years in Launceston.
Using cooling and energy management technology developed and proven right here, Firmus' AI data centres (or 'AI Factories'), are exceptionally energy efficient, use almost no water for cooling throughout the year, and operate well within sound tolerances for general industrial sites and others areas our facilities are located.
A career in Tasmania
Hear directly from the people building, running and growing our Tasmania sites.
Projects Facts
Energy, water, land, jobs and safety — read it in your own time, or share it with anyone who has questions.
Project Summary
Summary of our Bell Bay industrial precinct project
About Firmus
We're an Australian company, developing our AI Factory technology in Launceston since 2019.
We’ve been part of the community ever since.
An AI Factory is a large, purpose-built facility that powers artificial intelligence. It is like a data centre, but built for the specific task of hosting computers that run AI as efficiently as possible. These computers are the technology behind AI chatbots and other AI tools that are becoming part of everyday life – from helping doctors detect disease earlier to improving bushfire and flood prediction to supporting people with disabilities through speech and vision tools.
Firmus AI Factories are designed to use minimal water. They can help to stabilise Tasmania’s energy grid through load control, as more renewable energy like wind and solar is added to the State’s network. Our people are based in the North and the South. They include software, hardware and engineering teams, as well as experts in construction, operations and advanced research and development.
Bell Bay industrial precinct Jobs
Hiring across construction, engineering, software, AI/ML, site reliability and commercial roles, as we build out Australia's AI Factory network.
Community FAQs
A very limited amount of water is used. The AI factory is designed to operate without using any water for cooling on most days of the year. Water is only used for cooling on hot days, which, based on local weather data, happens for only a small number of days per year in this region.
This equates to predicted water usage for cooling around 10 days a year — on days above 26°C. The rest of the year, dry cooling only. Total annual consumption will be the equivalent of less than what three typical Australian restaurants use each year. That's up to 99% less than a typical data centre. Wastewater from normal facility operations, such as toilets, is expected to be negligible relative to these volumes.
The Bell Bay site will draw approximately 288 MW. That scale exists to train and run frontier AI models, which require sustained computing power.
Firmus’ Bell Bay site will draw power from the grid, which in turn is fed largely by hydro, wind, and solar power — just like other major industries in the Bell Bay region. The project connects directly to three 220 kV TasNetworks transmission lines running through the site. There will be no impact on residential supply. By becoming part of the grid as a new baseload user with a maximum demand of 288MW, Firmus’ site will help to support long-term investment in clean energy.
The site is designed to be dispatchable, meaning it can schedule and manage its electricity demand to support grid conditions. During periods of energy scarcity or system constraint, the site will reduce its electricity use to help ease pressure on the grid and protect supply for households, essential services and other industries that cannot easily reduce their demand. Firmus is also supporting new renewable energy projects in Tasmania to offset the site’s electricity use over time.
Firmus is committed to having a positive impact on the local community and economy. This includes providing opportunities for local employment and skills development.
During construction, the Bell Bay project will employ hundreds of local civil, electrical, and trades contractors. We will also employ contractors who will be based off-site, who will support off-site fabrication and major equipment production.
Once operational, the AI factory will support a permanent local workforce of more than 115 full-time employees. These are ongoing, skilled roles spanning technology operations, maintenance, security, energy management, engineering, and administration, with the facility operating around the clock across three shifts.
Many of these roles are directly transferable from existing industries, including technicians, electricians, security, groundskeeping, and building maintenance. Others provide opportunities for workers in adjacent trades and technical fields to retrain and transition into long-term careers supporting advanced digital infrastructure and AI operations.
Three sites, one region
We're planning to grow from one site to three across Northern Tasmania
Investing in Connectivity
Firmus and SUBCO are building Bernacchi-1, the state's first new sub-sea fibre connection in over 20 years,connecting Tasmania to mainland Australia.