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Australian Data Centres
Power & Water Summit

The key networking event that addresses sustainability factors for the booming data centre industry

10 – 11 June 2026 | Swissotel Sydney

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VISIT AUSTRALASIAN SUBMARINE CABLE INFRASTRUCTURE CONFERENCE | 12th JUNE 2026, SWISSÔTEL SYDNEY

overview

Australia is witnessing a transformative wave of investment in its data centre infrastructure, driven by global technology leaders and local innovators. Recent announcements highlight the nation’s growing prominence as a hub for cutting-edge digital infrastructure, renewable energy integration, and AI-driven growth, with commitments totalling well over A$30 billion, including:

  • CDC Data Centres’ landmark 555-megawatt contract that represents the largest data centre deal in Australian history
  • Microsoft’s AUD $25 billion investment to expand its Australian data centre network and bolster AI capabilities
  • NEXTDC’s construction of the 350MW S4 Sydney facility in Western Sydney
  • Amazon Web Services entering agreements for nine Australian renewable projects to power datacentres, adding 430MW of renewable power
  • Stockland announcing plans to build a 168MW data centre
  • Firmus raising approx. AUD $760 million in strategic equity investment to accelerate their AI Factory rollout across Asia-Pacific

These investments not only reflect the confidence of global and local players in Australia’s digital future but also highlight the critical role of energy and water sustainability in shaping the next generation of data centres. Join us at the Australian Data Centres Power & Water Summit to join the conversation and explore the latest developments in this rapidly growing sector.


“The Albanese government will move to curb the data centre gold rush from cannibalising the energy transition with a new national interest framework that expects artificial intelligence giants to fund their own renewable power in exchange for fast-tracked regulatory approvals.”
– AFR, 22/03/2026

“Australia’s data-centre sector faces stricter and potentially more expensive electricity grid connections under proposed rule changes aimed at preventing blackouts due to the power demand from artificial intelligence and cloud computing. The Australian Energy Market Commission has proposed new technical standards that would require large data centres to stay connected during disturbances on the electricity grid and respond to instability, reflecting concerns the facilities behave more like power generators than traditional energy users.”
– The Australian, 12/03/2026

“Australia’s ambitions to cash in on the global boom in data centres will live or die on two factors above all others: access to energy and water.”
– AFR, 27/01/2026

“…the big AI companies, having mopped up all the excess power in the United States, are scrambling to set up in other markets. They love the idea of coming to Australia and say it is a now-or-never opportunity.”
– AFR 15/12/2025

2026 Speakers

Senator the Hon. Tim Ayres

Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science

Joscha Schmitz

Vice President, Energy & Land Strategy, AirTrunk

Joel O’Halloran

Managing Director ANZ, STACK Infrastructure

Alex Hooper

Associate Director, Oxford Economics Australia

Obinna Isiadinso

Author, Global Data Center Hub

Danielle Francis

Manager Customer and Policy, Water Services Association of Australia

Andrew Stevens

Net Zero Solutions Lead, Zenith Energy

Simon Currie

Co-Founder and Chief Projects Officer, Energy Estate

Tom McMahon

Partner, Mandala Partners

James Magill

Executive General Manager, Origin Zero

Matthew Lee

National Director – Data Centres Australia, JLL

Paul Higham

Head of Business Development, Sydney Water

Innes Willox

Chief Executive, Australian Industry Group (Ai Group)

Alistair Parker

Chief Executive Officer, VicGrid

Andrew Buchel

Sector Lead – Data Centres, NABERS

Robert Huang

National Development Manager – Data Centres & Power Generation, HYDAC

Lester Zhang

Deputy General Manager of Overseas Business, Sieyuan Electric

Rob Koh

Equity Research Analyst - Utilities, Infrastructure, Energy & ESG, Morgan Stanley

Fiona Hall

Executive Vice President Commercial and Strategy, Beach Energy

Marco Surace

Chief Engineer, APD Global

Paul George

Business Development Manager, Wärtsilä Energy

Faraz Ali

Product Manager Australia and New Zealand, VERTIV Australia

Dr. Ing Tamer Turna

Managing Director - Data Center Solutions, 2G Energy AG

Kaavya Jha

Senior Energy Policy Advisor, Tesla

Sabiene Heindl

Chief Executive Officer, The Energy Charter

Michael Wright

National Secretary, Electrical Trade Union of Australia

Con Hristodoulidis

Executive General Manager of Policy, Clean Energy Council

Alexander Hoysted

Campaign & Partnerships Director, Carbon Zero Initiative

Michael Riad

General Manager - Data Centre, Telecommunications, Ventia

Matthew Pieterse

Head of Strategy & Legal, InterContinental Energy

Stuart Cassie

Director & APAC Data Centre Lead, TBH

Haaris Jamil

Head of Energy Intensives & Technology, Origin Zero

2026 Agenda

8:30 am

ARRIVAL | Registration & morning coffee

9:00 am

OPENING | Welcome to the 2nd Annual Data Centres Power & Water Summit and opening remarks from Chair

Simon Currie, Co-Founder and Chief Projects Officer, Energy Estate

9:10 am

STATE GOVERNMENT ROUNDTABLE | Update on state-based data centre plans and initiatives

9:40 am

Data centres: catalyst for investment and innovation in critical infrastructure

Tom McMahon, Partner, Mandala Partners

10:00 am

Global outlook for data centres

Obinna Isiadinso, Author, Global Data Center Hub

10:20 am

Data Centre Demand Outlook: Upside opportunities and downside risks

Alex Hooper, Associate Director, Oxford Economics Australia

10:40 am

Networking and refreshment break

11:10 am

The increased computing power from the growth in data centres has many advantages for industry and its digitalisation trajectory, however, there is a risk of increased competition for essential resources. To avoid this we need clear targets, honest conversations and brave policymaking. Can Australia do it?

11:30 am

EVENT PARTNER | Seizing the opportunity - how we help Australia's largest energy users run in the most sustainable and efficient way

James Magill, Executive General Manager, Origin Zero

11:50 am

EVENT PARTNER | Data centre power solutions

Paul George, Business Development Manager, Wärtsilä Energy

12:10 pm

AirTrunk’s path to sustainability: The future of data centres

Joscha Schmitz, Vice President, Energy & Land Strategy, AirTrunk

12:30 pm

PANEL DISCUSSION | The case for integrated utility precincts

Stuart Cassie, Director & APAC Data Centre Lead, TBH

Haaris Jamil, Head of Energy Intensives & Technology, Origin Zero

1:00 pm

Lunch and networking break

2:00 pm

PANEL DISCUSSION | The New Zealand Opportunity: Empowering New Zealand’s data centre sector

2:30 pm

Cost-effective Hybrid Battery/Supercapacitor Energy Storage Systems Practices to Enhance the Investment Return Performance

Lester Zhang, Deputy General Manager of Overseas Business, Sieyuan Electric

2:45 pm

How Sydney Water is responding to data centre build-out and water requirements in Western Sydney

Paul Higham, Head of Business Development, Sydney Water

3:05 pm

Data centres and water use, including guidance for DCs looking to establish/operate in Australia

Danielle Francis, Manager Customer and Policy, Water Services Association of Australia

3:25 pm

NABERS Ratings and water consumption in Data Centres

Andrew Buchel, Sector Lead – Data Centres, NABERS

3:40 pm

Networking and refreshment break

4:10 pm

The data centre of the future: Developing new solutions to support evolving demands

Faraz Ali, Product Manager Australia and New Zealand, VERTIV Australia

4:25 pm

Updated forecast on Australia’s data centre market

Rob Koh, Equity Research Analyst - Utilities, Infrastructure, Energy & ESG, Morgan Stanley

4:45 pm

PANEL DISCUSSION | Strategies for Sustainable Data Centres

Joel O’Halloran, Managing Director ANZ, STACK Infrastructure

Matthew Pieterse, Head of Strategy & Legal, InterContinental Energy

5:15 pm

Exploring solutions to improve energy efficiency

Dr. Ing Tamer Turna, Managing Director - Data Center Solutions, 2G Energy AG

5:25 pm

Closing remarks from Chair

5:30 pm

Networking Function

8:30 am

ARRIVAL | Registration & morning coffee

9:00 am

OPENING | Welcome to Day 2 of the 2nd Annual Data Centres Power & Water Summit and opening remarks from Chair

9:10 am

FEDERAL KEYNOTE ADDRESS | Federal keynote address

Senator the Hon. Tim Ayres, Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science

9:30 am

PANEL DISCUSSION | Public Interest Principles for Data Centres

Michael Wright, National Secretary, Electrical Trade Union of Australia

Con Hristodoulidis, Executive General Manager of Policy, Clean Energy Council

Alexander Hoysted, Campaign & Partnerships Director, Carbon Zero Initiative

10:00 am

Powering the Digital Economy: Enabling Infrastructure for Data Centres

10:20 am

Who Pays, Who Benefits? Rethinking Social Licence for Data Centres

Sabiene Heindl, Chief Executive Officer, The Energy Charter

10:40 am

Network planning for increased demand

Alistair Parker, Chief Executive Officer, VicGrid

11:00 am

Networking and refreshment break

11:30 am

PANEL DISCUSSION | Fuelling innovation: The role of gas in data centre operations

Fiona Hall, Executive Vice President Commercial and Strategy, Beach Energy

Paul George, Business Development Manager, Wärtsilä Energy

12:00 pm

JLL’s 2026 Global Data Centre Outlook

Matthew Lee, National Director – Data Centres Australia, JLL

12:20 pm

Data centres and mission-critical environments

Michael Riad, General Manager - Data Centre, Telecommunications, Ventia

12:40 pm

  • In Australia, we are in the midst of developing regulatory technical standards and transmission planning frameworks to support the integration of large inverter-based loads, such as data centres
  • Grid-forming technologies, including advanced battery energy storage systems (BESS), can solve for common data centre-grid connection challenges while enhancing power system security, provide grid stability, and ensure reliability, offering a sustainable alternative to gas-based solutions

1:00 pm

Energy Efficiency at Scale: Lessons from South Asia's Hyperscale Deployments

Marco Surace, Chief Engineer, APD Global

1:15 pm

Lunch and networking break

2:15 pm

TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE | Pathways to Net Zero: Energy solutions for sustainable data centre power

Andrew Stevens, Net Zero Solutions Lead, Zenith Energy

2:30 pm

Cool, Clean and Connected: An Integrated Approach to Data Centre Reliability

Robert Huang, National Development Manager – Data Centres & Power Generation, HYDAC

2:40 pm

Expanding responsibly: Balancing data centre growth with the energy transition

3:00 pm

Unlocking opportunities: Harnessing waste heat from data centres across industries

3:20 pm

Closing remarks from Chair & END OF CONFERENCE

Pricing

Packages Price
Package(Two Days)$3895+GST

Event Pricing

  • Standard – $3,895 + GST – from 02/05/2026

Speaker Interviews


Event Code Of Conduct

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when & where

10 - 11 Jun 2026

Swissotel Sydney
68 Market St, Sydney NSW 2000
+61 (02) 9238 8888
https://www.swissotel.com/hotels/sydney/


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