At a glance
Quantum DC's Tungkillo Compute and Energy Hub at 312 Collins Road, Tungkillo, is a proposed 1.2GW data centre campus about 55km east of Adelaide.
A bomb threat cancelled the developer's first community session on 29 October, and it called off a second session in Mannum set for 31 October.
Three replacement sessions will run at the Mannum Leisure Centre on 20 and 21 November.
Transmission lines owned by ElectraNet cross the 220-hectare site, and Quantum DC plans to draw about 80 per cent of its power from wind and solar and the rest from on-site gas.
South Australia's planning minister will decide the project once it is lodged, which chief executive Alby Tomassi expects by the end of 2026.
Quantum DC has postponed public meetings on its proposed 1.2GW Tungkillo data centre after a bomb threat on 29 October. The Melbourne developer received a threat it described as credible and reported to SA Police shortly before its drop-in session at the Tungkillo Soldiers Memorial Hall was due to begin. On 30 October it called off a second session in Mannum, set for 31 October, and moved both to 20 and 21 November.
The sessions were to be the first chance for locals to question the company about a campus that would pair a 1.2GW data centre with its own gas-fired power on farmland in South Australia's eastern Mount Lofty Ranges. The plan became public in late October and no application has been lodged. The site sits under ElectraNet's 275kV transmission lines, which Quantum DC says spare the project from building new long-distance lines to reach the grid. South Australia's planning minister will make the final decision under a pathway built for essential infrastructure.
Property developer Alby Tomassi leads Quantum DC
Quantum DC Pty Ltd is owned by property developer Alberto (Alby) Tomassi, its chief executive, the Australian Financial Review reported. Tungkillo is the company's first project, DatacenterDynamics reported. Quantum DC describes itself as "developing Australia's next generation of compute and energy hubs", meaning data centres built alongside their own generation.
The company has engaged Adelaide planning consultancy URPS to run community engagement before lodgement. Feedback from that program will go into an engagement report filed with the application, according to the Quantum DC project page.
ElectraNet's 275kV lines cross the Collins Road site
The campus would sit at 312 Collins Road, in the hills between Tungkillo, Rockleigh and Mount Torrens, about 55km east of Adelaide. The site covers about 220 hectares across five parcels. Quantum DC plans to develop about 120 hectares and keep the remaining 100 hectares in use for grazing.
South Australian transmission network owner ElectraNet runs 275kV lines across the property. Quantum DC plans two new substations to connect to them. Its connection to the network on two separate circuits forms part of its backup supply, alongside on-site gas generation and battery storage it would contract elsewhere on the network.
Iberdrola's Tungkillo battery, a separately approved 270MW, 1,080MWh project, sits close to the site. The Spanish utility bought it from RES Australia in October 2025, puts its investment in the project at €275 million and expects it to start operating in 2028. Quantum DC says the nearby batteries are separate projects with their own approvals and are not part of its application.
Wind, solar and gas turbines would supply the 1.2GW campus
Beyond the grid connection, Quantum DC plans to buy most of the campus's electricity from new wind and solar farms it would contract elsewhere in South Australia, with on-site gas turbines covering the rest. The turbines would run when wind and solar output is low rather than continuously, and at times would export power to the grid. The campus would not use diesel generators for backup, with diesel limited to a small generator to start the gas turbines and a small standby unit at the gas receiving facility.
Element | Quantum DC's plan |
|---|---|
Capacity | About 1.2GW, built in three stages |
Timing | Stage 1 operating from 2028, full campus by 2031 |
Power | About 80 per cent wind and solar, 20 per cent on-site gas |
Cooling | Closed-loop direct-to-chip liquid cooling with dry, air-cooled heat rejection |
Operating water | About 20 megalitres a year, mainly rainwater from building roofs |
Source: Quantum DC, October 2026.
In direct-to-chip cooling, a design used in many AI data centres, coolant runs in a sealed loop to plates on the chips, and the heat is shed by fans rather than by evaporating water. The roof rainwater would be topped up by commercial water carriers when needed. Quantum DC proposes no permanent SA Water mains connection, no extraction from the River Murray and no purchase of irrigation allocations. Construction would need a further 150 to 250 megalitres across all stages, not counting concrete production. Zerra DC has proposed a similar roof rainwater plan for its Western Downs campus near Dalby in Queensland.
Hundreds gathered at Tungkillo after the session was cancelled
Water is among the concerns residents have raised since the plan became public, alongside noise, light and the rural setting. A community-organised gathering at the Tungkillo hall on 29 October went ahead without the developer. About 500 to 600 people attended, according to local state MP Robert Roylance, and heard from MPs including South Australian Liberal leader Ashton Hurn, the AFR reported. Those gathered declared their opposition and called for the proposal to be scrapped, community organiser Matt Loader said. They also called on Mid Murray Council, Roylance and planning minister Nick Champion to reject it, Murray Bridge News reported. Roylance has declared his opposition.
Quantum DC said the postponement was about public safety and making sure the full range of views could be heard. "It is our intent to continue to engage with this community in a way that creates a safe environment," Tomassi said. The three replacement sessions at the Mannum Leisure Centre, which holds about 200 people, run from 10am to 12pm on 20 November and from 11am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm on 21 November. Tomassi also committed to posting answers to frequently asked questions on the company's website.
The town of Tungkillo sits just inside the River Murray International Dark Sky Reserve, according to the ABC, as reported by W.Media. Quantum DC says the reserve is more than 5km from its site, Construction Review Online reported. Mid Murray Council has raised questions about traffic management, fire risk, environmental impacts and light pollution.
South Australia's planning minister will decide the project
Residents will get a formal say once Quantum DC lodges. The company intends to lodge through South Australia's Essential Infrastructure/Crown assessment pathway. It has applied for Crown sponsorship, in which a government agency endorses a proposal to speed its review, the AFR reported. The company's own fact sheet, dated 27 October, says it intends to apply to the Department of State Development. Under that route the application goes on public notification for at least 15 business days for written submissions. The State Commission Assessment Panel then reviews it and advises the planning minister, who makes the final decision.
The state government had not received an application as of 28 October, according to Construction Review Online. Tomassi told the AFR he expects to lodge by the end of 2026. The application will carry specialist studies on traffic, noise, air quality, water, vegetation and biodiversity, Aboriginal cultural heritage, bushfire risk and visual impact.
Tungkillo joins IREN and Firmus in South Australia's pipeline
If approved, Tungkillo would join several large campuses proposed for South Australia. Nasdaq-listed IREN announced an 800MW campus at Bundey, about 125km north-east of Adelaide, in June 2026, with energisation from 2028. Australian AI infrastructure company Firmus has planned campuses at Tailem Bend and Stirling North. Projects of this kind sit outside the state's AI royal commission, whose terms of reference exclude data centres.
What to watch
The Mannum sessions. Quantum DC's project team and URPS will take questions at the Mannum Leisure Centre on 20 and 21 November.
Lodgement. Tomassi expects to lodge by the end of 2026, which would lead to a public notification period of at least 15 business days and review by the State Commission Assessment Panel.
The electricity price modelling. Quantum DC has commissioned independent modelling of the project's effect on electricity prices, alongside the specialist studies that will go with the application.
The Tungkillo battery. Iberdrola's 270MW battery near the site is due to start construction in late 2026 and operate from 2028, according to W.Media and Iberdrola.