Why it matters
The strategic read
Adds another sovereign-adjacent AI campus template outside the U.S. hyperscaler grid queue: remote land, behind-the-meter power, solar, batteries, gas dispatchability, Asia-Pacific connectivity and Commonwealth Major Project Status wrapped around a 500 MW-to-1 GW data-center plan. The project is not yet a signed customer or financing receipt, but it is large enough to track because Australia is becoming a recurring AI infrastructure geography across Firmus, SharonAI, IREN and Energy North.
Source-supported terms
What was disclosed
- 01
Australia's official Current Major Projects page lists Project Ares as an Energy North Pty Ltd project with Commonwealth Major Project Status granted on April 28, 2026 and expiring April 28, 2029.
- 02
The official listing describes Project Ares as a proposed hyperscale data centre development at Murranji Station in the Northern Territory, approximately 370 km south of Katherine.
- 03
The official listing says the project will be delivered in stages, with an initial 500 MW facility powered by integrated renewable energy and potential expansion to 1 GW.
- 04
The official listing gives Project Ares projected capital expenditure of around A$11.9B and says it is expected to create approximately 4,400 construction jobs and up to 300 ongoing jobs.
- 05
Energy North describes Project Ares as a 1 GW hyperscale AI data centre with integrated renewable energy generation, behind-the-meter, fully off-grid, built to Tier III standards, with Commonwealth Major Project Status and FEL-2 / Pre-FEED complete.
- 06
Energy North says final investment decision is targeted on receipt of final approvals, with commercial operation targeted 12-18 months after FID.
- 07
DCD reported on July 1, 2026 that the campus would include up to 3 GW of solar generation, 16 GWh of battery storage, 900 MW-1.1 GW of natural gas-fired dispatchable generation and no grid connection.
- 08
DCD reported that Energy North is targeting 500 MW in the first phase and that the data-center portion would total about 90 hectares at full build-out, with the solar farm totaling up to 7,000 hectares.
- 09
DCD reported Energy North says Project Ares could scale to 5 GW in future phases, though the official Major Project Status listing frames the current proposed data-center expansion potential at 1 GW.
- 10
The project is co-located with Energy North's Project Sol green hydrogen and green ammonia development, another Commonwealth Major Project Status project.
- 11
The Deal Room classifies this as permit/status-stage infrastructure evidence, not a signed offtake, financing close or construction award.
Disclosure boundary
What is known—and what is not
Primary Australian Government Major Project Status listing and Energy North project materials, with DCD same-day reporting. Public materials disclose the proponent, project name, Northern Territory / Murranji Station location, Major Project Status dates, 500 MW initial facility, potential 1 GW expansion, roughly A$11.9B capex, construction and ongoing job estimates, behind-the-meter / off-grid architecture, FEL-2 / Pre-FEED status, FID contingent on final approvals, and reported solar / battery / gas-generation concept. Public materials do not disclose a signed customer or offtake agreement, financing close, project debt/equity commitments, power purchase terms, gas supply, EPC contracts, equipment awards, final environmental approvals, exact project schedule, data-center tenant mix, server/GPU allocation, grid export rights, or remedies if approvals/FID do not proceed.