Meridian Energy s generation manager, Guy Waipara, has said it was “100 per cent” behind the scheme, which aims to capitalise on Southland’s cheap, renewable power and its cool climate. The power company has agreed to provide 100 megawatts of electricity, or about an eighth of the peak output of the Manapōuri hydro scheme, to power the data centre.
Supplied
An artist s impression of what the Datagrid facility in North Makarewa would look like. Datagrid has selected US-owned Aecom, which employs about 700 staff in New Zealand, to design the facility. Aecom’s previous and other current engineering projects have included consulting on Auckland’s City Rail Link, Britomart, Transmission Gulley and the New Zealand Defence Force headquarters in Wellington.