• CDC has lodged plans for an A$200 million second data centre at its Beard campus in Canberra, including 12 data halls
  • CDC promotes closed-loop cooling as a low-water design, but Beard 2's site-specific consumption has not yet been demonstrated

The fact

CDC Data Centres has lodged a development application for an $200 million second facility at its Beard campus in Canberra, with public submissions open until 18 September. The proposed Beard 2 development comprises a three-storey data centre with 12 data halls and emergency on-site generators. It would sit beside the completed Beard 1 facility, which has 10 data halls. The wider site also reserves land for a future substation.

CDC says its data centres use a closed-loop cooling system designed to recirculate water rather than rely on continuous evaporative consumption. The operator says the approach saves about five gigalitres of water annually across its Australian and New Zealand campuses compared with conventional systems. At its two Auckland facilities, CDC says the cooling loops required an initial fill of about 190,000 litres.

Those figures describe CDC's wider operating portfolio rather than measured performance at Beard 2, which remains a proposed facility. The application comes as the ACT government develops a Data Centre Framework covering location, sustainability and infrastructure requirements, with a draft expected in early 2027.

The assessment

CDC has evidence that its closed-loop cooling system can keep water use low at existing campuses, but Beard 2 still needs to stand on its own. The planning application should show how much water the Canberra facility is expected to use when its data halls are operating, rather than relying on savings recorded elsewhere.

That estimate should cover the whole site, including the initial fill of the cooling system and any other ongoing water use. Setting that baseline during planning would make it possible to compare the design with what the facility actually consumes once it opens. For BTW readers, the key question is simple: how much water will Beard 2 itself use, and will its actual performance match the plan? CDC's wider portfolio provides useful context, but the new facility needs its own numbers.

What to watch

Watch the Beard 2 assessment for water-demand assumptions, cooling requirements and any conditions attached to approval. Once the facility operates, site-level water reporting would show whether actual consumption matches the figures used during planning.