Wesley Vale R&D AI Factory: Q&As
Firmus’ proposed R&D AI Factory will use an existing warehouse and existing electricity capacity at Wesley Vale to test new approaches to backup energy and the operation of AI infrastructure.
Wesley Vale R&D AI Factory Q&As
Firmus is an AI infrastructure company, founded on inventing new and more efficient infrastructure to train and run AI models. The Wesley Vale R&D AI Factory will test whether behind-the-meter battery energy storage, combined with intelligent control of computing demand, can provide a more flexible, efficient and grid responsive approach to backup energy. The facility is intended to be an exemplar development where these ideas can be tested, measured and refined.
The facility will combine behind-the-meter battery energy storage with Firmus’ power control and workload orchestration systems. Workload orchestration means managing computing tasks: moving, pausing, slowing or shifting them in response to available power and network conditions. This allows the facility’s electricity demand to be actively managed and creates the potential for stored energy to support operations for longer.
Firmus will test whether this approach can allow the facility to operate for extended periods with little or no reliance on the grid during network events, while reducing reliance on conventional diesel backup generation. This builds on Firmus’ Launceston R&D operations, where we have tested and developed new approaches to AI factory cooling, grid integration and energy efficiency.
No. The R&D AI Factory will be built inside one of the existing warehouses on the former Wesley Vale Pulp Mill landholding. It will refurbish and repurpose the existing building.
No. The R&D facility is proposed to operate with a maximum electricity demand of 26 MW using the existing available substation infrastructure at the TasNetworks Wesley Vale substation on a non-firm basis. This means the facility’s electricity demand can be automatically reduced or disconnected if required to support the electricity network.
No increase in the overall connection capacity of the Wesley Vale site is required for the R&D facility. Some minor upgrades and augmentation to the existing infrastructure will be required to support the facility, with those works to be funded by Firmus and subject to the required technical studies and connection approvals.
Firmus is progressing those studies and approvals with TasNetworks and through the relevant Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) processes.
No increase in connection capacity will be required for the R&D factory. The facility is proposed to operate within a maximum grid demand of 26 MW using the existing infrastructure, subject to the required technical studies and connection approvals. Firmus is currently progressing those detailed technical studies and approvals with TasNetworks and through the relevant Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) processes.
Firmus is covering all of the costs of the R&D factory and the related research program.
Under the proposed connection arrangement, the R&D AI Factory will operate as a flexible, non-firm load. This means its electricity demand can be rapidly reduced or disconnected if required by TasNetworks due to an outage, network constraint or other system condition.
In simple terms, the facility is designed to operate on a “last on, first off” basis when the electricity network is under pressure.
Load would only be restored when network conditions allow and in accordance with the agreed connection arrangements. This flexibility is an important part of how Firmus is designing its Tasmanian facilities to support the secure operation of the electricity network.
The R&D AI Factory will use dry cooling for most of the year, without consuming water for cooling. Water will only be used on hot days above 26°C, which occur on a limited number of days each year based on local weather data.
At 26 MW, half the capacity of the full Wesley Vale development, estimated average annual water use for cooling is approximately 224 kL, based on proportional scaling of the full facility’s 448 kL estimate. Rainwater harvesting and on-site storage will be the primary source of cooling water, with any supplementary supply used only where required for operational resilience.
The R&D facility is expected to create approximately 20 permanent jobs and will also be supported by Firmus’ Launceston and Hobart based technical team.
The R&D facility forms part of Firmus’ Wesley Vale development area. The proposed energy requirements are included within the broader Tasmanian energy requirements Firmus is discussing with Hydro Tasmania; they do not represent an additional request beyond that proposal.
These discussions consider Firmus’ future energy requirements, the flexibility its facilities can provide, and how additional renewable generation and firming could support supply. The energy supply process is continuing.
The R&D facility is part of Firmus’ broader Wesley Vale development area. It will use an existing warehouse on the former pulp mill landholding and complement the previously announced Wesley Vale AI Factory.
While it is a separate development with its own research purpose and planning process, it will not increase the overall planned maximum electricity demand for the Wesley Vale site. The R&D facility will form part of the staged development of the site within the broader planned electrical capacity.
Yes. The fact that the R&D facility follows a different planning pathway does not remove the requirement for it to comply with all applicable planning, building and environmental standards.
That includes requirements relating to matters such as noise, lighting, mechanical plant, traffic, stormwater, environmental nuisance and impacts on surrounding properties. The facility will be designed and operated to meet the standards and conditions that apply to the development, just like any other development in Tasmania.
Yes. The battery system will be purpose-designed for industrial use and designed, installed and tested in accordance with applicable Australian and international safety standards, including IEC 62619, IEC 63056, AS/NZS 5139 and AS/NZS 3000.
The system will incorporate multiple layers of protection, including continuous battery monitoring, battery management systems, temperature and off-gas detection, automatic isolation and shutdown, ventilation, thermal management, and appropriate fire detection and protection systems.
The battery system will also be supported by recognised testing such as UL 9540A, which is used to assess battery fire propagation behaviour and the effectiveness of measures designed to contain an abnormal event and limit its spread between cells, modules or units.
Detailed fire safety and emergency response planning will also form part of the design process.
Visit Firmus’ Wesley Vale AI Factory project page to learn more about the larger proposed development.