Amazon Web Services (AWS) is expanding its digital infrastructure footprint in Australia, with plans to invest $20 billion over 2025 to 2029.
This is in addition to a $9 billion investment in data centres from 2012 to 2023.
The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) has facilitated the right connections between Amazon Web Services and Australian Government representatives for discussions on AI opportunities, AI safety, and cyber security policy.
Austrade also worked with the New South Wales and Victorian governments to help ensure timely delivery of the planned investment pipeline.
The commission says the new $20 billion investment ensures Australia will maintain one of the world’s most advanced digital infrastructure models.
It will support new applications of technology across Australian industry and enable organisations to innovate and deploy AI models, boosting economic resilience and productivity.
In addition to its new infrastructure investment and to support new and expanded data centres in Sydney and Melbourne, AWS is investing in the development of three new solar farms across Victoria and Queensland.
This brings its total renewable energy portfolio to 11 Australian solar and wind projects.
AWS matches 100% of its electricity consumption with renewable energy across its global operations, including Australian data centres, as part of its plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040.
European Energy will deliver and operate the new projects. Amazon will purchase a combined capacity of more than 170 MW across the three solar farms.
Amazon Web Services CEO Matt Garman calls AI a once-in-a-generation transformation, with Amazon seeking to empower Australians to innovate at scale through the investment.
Echoing these sentiments, Amazon’s Head of Public Policy ANZ Roger Somerville says a commitment of this scale requires close collaboration with the government to ensure AWS delivers the infrastructure Australia needs.
Austrade and the Australian Embassy have played a valuable role helping to connect the dots across a range of government and industry stakeholders over the past two years, Somerville adds.
AI investment to improve productivity
Austrade says AWS’s investment supports Australia to improve productivity and seize the economic opportunities that AI and other digital technologies offer.
The Australian Government has identified AI as a critical technology that will help drive productivity. According to the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, AI and automation are expected to contribute up to $600 billion annually to Australia’s GDP by 2030.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese notes this is the largest investment the country has seen from a global technology provider.
“It is an exciting opportunity for Australia to build AI capability using secure, resilient infrastructure. This is exactly the kind of economic investment in our nation that we want to see, and creates opportunities for continued innovation and growth,” the Prime Minister says.
AWS has also invested in bolstering Australia’s AI and digital capability through AWS AI Spring Australia, a set of programs designed to accelerate AI adoption and capability across the nation.
Initial initiatives include a program designed to grow early stage generative AI startups, and a program to help Australian enterprises begin and accelerate their generative AI journey.
Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: AWS & Austrade
