NEXTDC M4 Melbourne: $2B 162MW Sovereign AI Factory Campus
Status: Approved / Pre-Construction & Site Preparation Phase | Location: 127 Todd Road, Port Melbourne, Victoria 3207, Australia
Project Overview
NEXTDC’s M4 Melbourne is a flagship A$2.0 billion (US$1.3 billion+) digital infrastructure campus strategically located on a 127 Todd Road site within the Fishermans Bend Innovation Precinct in Port Melbourne, one of Australia’s most significant technology and innovation districts. Purpose-built as Australia’s premier sovereign AI Factory and hyperscale data center campus, M4 is designed to deliver 162 MW of critical IT capacity across approximately 50,000 m² of technical whitespace, providing exceptional scalability for hyperscale cloud providers, government agencies, research institutions, and enterprise customers. Located just minutes from Melbourne’s Central Business District (CBD), the campus combines low-latency connectivity with resilient infrastructure to support the next generation of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and high-performance computing (HPC) applications. M4 is specifically engineered for ultra-high-density GPU deployments, supporting rack densities of up to 1,000 kW per rack through advanced closed-loop direct-to-chip liquid cooling, enabling efficient operation of the world’s most demanding AI workloads while optimising energy and thermal performance. Designed to achieve Tier IV fault-tolerant reliability, the facility offers industry-leading resilience, redundant power and cooling systems, and a 100% uptime guarantee for mission-critical digital operations. Customers also benefit from direct cross-connects to AXON, NEXTDC’s high-performance interconnection platform, along with native access to all major public cloud providers, enabling seamless hybrid and multi-cloud connectivity. Combined with enterprise-grade security, scalable infrastructure, and future-ready AI capabilities, NEXTDC’s M4 Melbourne establishes a world-class digital platform that strengthens Australia’s sovereign computing capacity and supports the rapidly growing demands of AI, cloud, and advanced digital services.
Quick Facts
| Field | Value |
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| Project Name | NEXTDC M4 Melbourne: $2B 162MW Sovereign AI Factory Campus |
| Location | 127 Todd Road, Port Melbourne, Victoria 3207, Australia |
| Status | Approved / Pre-Construction & Site Preparation Phase |
| Commissioning | Target Phase 1 Go-Live: 2027/2028 (Phased expansion through 2030+) |
| Total IT Load | 150 MW to 162 MW Total Critical IT Capacity |
| Total Capacity | 162 MW Total IT Load across 50,000 m² (538,000 sq ft) technical data hall space |
| Tier Level | Target Tier IV Certified / Fault-Tolerant Design (Uptime Institute Tier IV Constructed Facility & Gold Operational Sustainability Target) |
| Project Type | Purpose-Built Greenfield Hyperscale, Sovereign Cloud & NVIDIA-Certified AI Factory Campus |
City Profile
| Header | Details |
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| City Name | melbourne |
| Population | City Proper (Estimated 2026): ~5.2–5.3 million |
| Urban Agglomeration | ~5.3+ million (Greater Melbourne region) |
| City GDP | ~USD 320–380 billion |
| Per Capita Income | Approx.: USD 65,000–75,000 |
| City Tier | Global Alpha City (Beta+ to Alpha tier depending on index) |
| Key Strengths | Strong finance, banking, and professional services sector |
Companies Involved
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| Developer / Operator | NEXTDC |
| Strategic Infrastructure Partner | CitiPower / Powercor (Electrical Utilities), Victorian State Government, NVIDIA (AI Factory Alliance) |
| Construction Contractor | Specialized Australian Mission-Critical EPC & Tier 1 Construction Contractors |
| MEP Engineering | NEXTDC Global Engineering & High-Density Thermal Design Teams |
| Network Connectivity | Dual geodiverse underground fiber entry paths; interconnected via AXON to NEXTDC M1, M2, and M3; direct carrier-neutral access to 70+ network providers, Megaport, and native cloud access points (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud). |
| Power Infrastructure | Dual high-voltage 66kV/22kV utility substation connections, static 2N / block-redundant uninterruptible power supply (UPS) topology, and 2N emergency standby diesel generators with 72+ hours of on-site fuel autonomy. |
Technical Specifications
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| Power Capacity | 162 MW Critical IT Power Capacity / High-Voltage Substation Feed |
| UPS Redundancy | 2N Static UPS Architecture |
| Cooling System | Closed-loop chilled water systems utilizing non-potable recycled water, direct-to-chip liquid cooling, and immersion cooling capability engineered to support high-density AI nodes up to 1,000 kW per rack. |
| Connectivity | Carrier-neutral ecosystem with dual Meet-Me-Rooms (MMRs), high-capacity dark fiber Data Center Interconnect (DCI) links across Greater Melbourne, and global cloud orchestration via AXON. |
| PUE Target | < 1.15 Annualized Operational Design PUE |
| Energy Mix | 100% clean renewable power procurement options backed by Australian Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs) and NEXTDC Corporate PPA strategy. |
Milestones
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| Announcement | Late 2024 / Victorian Planning Approval: January 2026 |
| Construction Start | 2026 |
| Phase 1 Go-Live | 2027 / 2028 |
| Full Buildout | 2028–2031+ (Phased delivery across campus technical halls) |
Investment Details
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| Total Investment | Estimated A$2,000,000,000 AUD (~$1.35 Billion USD) |
| Funding | NEXTDC Limited corporate capital expenditure (CapEx) allocation & institutional capital raisings |