The winner of the 2024 Australia & New Zealand Cloud & Data Center Awards “Data Center Innovation of the Year” was New Zealand telco Spark for its new, large-scale data centre on Auckland’s North Shore. The operator has teamed up with global surf park creators Aventuur and as part of a 43- hectare masterplan development, plan to use an innovative heat exchange system enabling excess heat produced by the data centre to warm the water of the nearby surfing lagoon.
Meanwhile, on-site at the new data centre, Spark will build and a use seven-hectare solar farm will supply renewable energy back into the data centre. Part of Spark’s overall sustainability strategy is to decouple its business growth from emissions growth by working in partnership with its energy partners to utilise its electricity procurement to support the development of renewable energy generation in New Zealand.
As Matt Ryan, customer & growth lead at Spark, told W.Media the North Shore project represents a “world-first in sustainable development”. Ryan picked up the award from Steve Lawson, LEP Segment Manager at Terra Cat. The government has agreed, given the project’s consent was secured through the New Zealand Governments COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020, which allows expedited approval of significant national projects that will contribute to New Zealand’s economic recovery. The North Shore site will become Spark’s third strategic Auckland location, with capacity for a staged build of a 40MW campus over time.
Auckland Surf Park will be New Zealand’s first, set among the North Island’s pristine landscape. At the heart of the community will be a 56-module Wavegarden Cove surfing lagoon, offering perfect waves, tailored coaching and unique experiences for all abilities in a safe, controlled environment. Thoughtfully designed to reflect the character of Dairy Flat, the project will also feature high- performance sports facilities, eco-cabins and lodging accommodation, a farm-to-table restaurant and community amenities.
In a world-first, Spark and Aventuur will capture the heat generated by its on-site data centre to warm the water of the lagoon – delivering optimal surfing conditions year-round. Having secured a high-quality site, the companies are in the early stages of planning and building the foundations of a truly remarkable project, and expect to open to the public in 2027.
Ryan said the creation of a groundbreaking heat exchange innovation and masterplan development initiative has yielded significant sustainable operational and commercial benefits for Spark and its partners. This innovative approach not only enhances the perception of data centres in the broader market but also underscores the industry’s potential contributions to environmental sustainability and community well being.
“Spark recognises the potential impacts of data centres on the environment and communities in which these facilities are developed. Spark is committed to integrating pioneering sustainable solutions in the development of our planned data centre expansion for the benefit of New Zealand,”
He told W.Media. “Our collaboration with partners in this sustainable masterplan development showcases the industry’s capacity for innovation and environmental responsibility. By re-imagining data centre design and operation, we're not just improving our own environmental footprint, but also changing perceptions of data centres in the broader market.”
And while using data centres to supply heat to communities is not unique, part of the innovation Spark and Aventuur have achieved with the surf park is the positive community buy-in from the data centre industry, the surfing community, neighbouring residents, regulators and the general public.
Spark is progressing through the next phases of planning and design for the data centre project with intentions to commence on-site works within 2025. “Subject to further project milestones and regulatory approvals being achieved, we are targeting the first stages of the development to be completed in late 2027/2028,” said Ryan.
Read more about Spark’s data centre strategy at https://w.media/spark-forges-its-own-data-centre-path/
[Author: Simon Dux]
