Amazon's $13 Billion Investment in Australian AI and Cloud Infrastructure

Amazon to invest $13 billion in Australia's data center infrastructure

June 14 (Reuters) - Amazon will invest 20 billion Australian dollars ($12.97 billion) from 2025 to 2029 to expand, operate and maintain its data center infrastructure in Australia, aiming to bolster the nation's artificial intelligence capabilities, the company said in a blog post on Saturday. ($1 = 1.5418 Australian dollars) Reporting by Surbhi Misra in Bengaluru; Editing by Richard Chang Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Suggested Topics:Artificial Intelligence

Amazon is planning one of its biggest cloud investments yet as it goes big down under

Amazon to invest AU$20 billion in Australia between now and 2029New data centers in Sydney and Melbourne are part of the planThree new solar farms are also crucial to the investment Amazon has confirmed plans to invest AU$20 billion into Australia between 2025 and 2029, with expanded data center infrastructure in Sydney and Melbourne accounting for a large part of the upcoming plans. The company says this multibillion-dollar pledge is Australia's "largest publicly-announced global technology investment." In its announcement, Amazon declared its support for Australia's "vision to improve productivity and grow the economy through AI innovation." Citing figures from the Australian Government's Department of Industry, Science and Resources, Amazon noted that AI and automation could contribute up to AU$600 billion annually to Australia's GDP by 2030. As part of the cash injection and to support its expanding infrastructure network, Amazon also confirmed it will build three new solar farms in Victoria and Queensland to add more than 170 megawatts of clean energy to the grid. That's on top of the eight solar and wind projects it already invests in across New South Wales and the two above states. With all 11 sites in operation, Amazon expects to generate more than 1.4 million megawatt hours of clean energy annually. "This is the largest investment our country has seen from a global technology provider, and is an exciting opportunity for Australia to build AI capability using secure, resilient infrastructure," said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The announcement comes with the usual side dishes - bold claims of widespread upskilling and economic contributions. Claiming to have trained over 400,000 Australian citizens since 2017, the company pledged to work with educational institutions, industry partners and the government for further training opportunities. AWS CEO Matt Garman concluded: "AI is a once-in-a-generation transformation, and Amazon is pleased to be empowering all Australians to innovate at scale through this investment." The news comes just days after AWS committed $20 billion to expand cloud computing infrastructure in Pennsylvania, and a further $10 billion commitment for North Carolina.

Australian data centres to get A$20bn boost from Amazon

The proposed spending marks the largest investment from a global tech provider in Australia's history. Amazon is investing A$20bn into its Australian data centre infrastructure in Sydney and Melbourne, as it looks to strengthen the country's AI and cloud capabilities, while cementing itself as a leader in AI-powered cloud services. The spending, which marks the largest investment from a global tech provider in the country's history is set to run till 2029 and also plans to modernise Australian organisations. To support the data centre expansion and power its growing Australian operations, the e-commerce giant also announced investments into three new solar farms in Victoria and Queensland, set to be delivered by Danish green energy company European Energy. Amazon has committed to purchase more than 170MW of combined capacity from the new farms. The fresh green energy investments will be in addition to the eight solar and wind projects in Australia that Amazon has already invested in. Australia, much like most countries, is making heavy-handed investments in AI. The country has committed A$1bn to develop its critical tech capabilities, which includes AI. According to the country's government, AI and automation are set to contribute up to A$600bn annually into its GDP by 2030. The country is also creating a National AI Capability plan, expected by the end of the year, which plans to utilise AI to grow its economy, while boosting AI skills and supporting local industries. "This is the largest investment our country has seen from a global technology provider and is an exciting opportunity for Australia to build AI capability using secure, resilient infrastructure," said Anthony Albanese, Australia's prime minister. "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 investment will generate economic opportunity for Australians, including skilled jobs and infrastructure that can support complex AI and supercomputing applications." Amazon Web Services (AWS), the Amazon subsidiary that provides cloud services, began investing in Australia back in 2012. Last year, AWS launched Amazon Bedrock, AWS's fully managed generative AI service in the country. In the same year, the Australian government partnered with the company for a secret cloud to modernise its national security and defence capabilities. "This planned investment deepens our long-term commitment to supporting the growth and development of Australian organisations of all sizes and helping them harness the enormous opportunity that generative AI offers," AWS CEO Matt Garman said. Amazon has invested several billions globally in a bid to strengthen its hold on the global data centre infrastructure. Just last year, it announced more than €1.2bn to expand AWS services in France. In addition, it set aside $9bn into Singapore over four years and £8bn into the UK over the next five years. Also in 2024, AWS announced more than €16bn to develop its cloud infrastructure in Germany. Don't miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic's digest of need-to-know sci-tech news.

Amazon to invest $13B in Australian AI data center infrastructure

Amazon is investing over $13 billion in expanding AI and cloud infrastructure in Australia, including new solar farms and data centers nationwide. Online retail and cloud computing giant Amazon plans to invest more than $13 billion in Australia's artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure, the company announced on Saturday. Amazon plans to invest 20 billion Australian dollars ($13.4 billion) by 2029 to expand Australia's AI and cloud capabilities, marking the country's largest publicly announced technology investment to date by a global company. The investment will go toward expanding, operating and maintaining Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers in the country. "This is the largest investment our country has seen from a global technology provider, and is an exciting opportunity for Australia to build AI capability using secure, resilient infrastructure," said Anthony Albanese, the prime minister of Australia, adding: "The investment will generate economic opportunity for Australians, including skilled jobs and infrastructure that can support complex AI and supercomputing applications." Part of the $13 billion will be used to build three new renewable solar farms in Victoria and Queensland, bringing Amazon's total renewable projects in the country to 11. The solar farms are expected to generate an estimated 1.4 million megawatt hours of carbon-free energy per year, roughly equivalent to powering around 290,000 Australian homes. Related: Jack Ma's Ant International eyes stablecoin licenses in Singapore, Hong Kong Amazon first ventured into the Australian market in 2012 with the opening of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Asia Pacific in Sydney. In July 2024, the Australian government partnered with AWS for the launch of a "Top Secret" AWS Cloud for national security and defense purposes. On June 11, Amazon partnered with Talen Energy to purchase nuclear energy to fuel the AWS servers and AI data centers in Pennsylvania through the year 2042. The partnership came two days after Amazon announced plans to invest $20 billion into its AI infrastructure in Pennsylvania, as more and more tech firms are pivoting toward building AI capabilities. Related: Bitcoin nears new high as Trump says US-China trade 'deal is done' The continued investment in AI services and automation stands to bolster Australia's economy. AI and automation-related developments are expected to contribute an annual $400 billion to the country's gross domestic product (GDP), according to the Government's Department of Industry, Science and Resources. Amazon has invested over $312 million in Australian renewable energy projects from 2020 to 2022.

Amazon to invest $13 billion in Australia's data center infrastructure over five years

Amazon will invest A$20 billion ($12.97 billion) from 2025 to 2029 to expand, operate and maintain its data center infrastructure in Australia, bolstering the nation's artificial intelligence capabilities, it said in a blog post on Saturday. The investment is Amazon's largest global technology commitment in Australia, with funding directed toward new server capacity and support for generative AI workloads. The company is also investing in three new solar farms in Victoria and Queensland, and will commit to buy a combined capacity of more than 170 megawatts across the three farms, it added. "Amazon Web Services' $20 billion investment in data centres in Australia will set us up for the future, boosting our economy and productivity," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a post on social media platform X. "This is a huge vote of confidence in the Australian economy," he added. Major tech companies worldwide are expanding their infrastructure to support rapidly growing demand for generative AI and cloud computing. Companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Google have been ramping up data center investments to secure market share and meet AI workload requirements. On Monday, Amazon announced plans to invest at least $20 billion in Pennsylvania to expand data center infrastructure, adding on to the billions of dollars the technology giant has committed to the expansion of AI. In early June, the company said it will invest $10 billion in North Carolina and announced plans to invest more than $5 billion in its new cloud infrastructure in Taiwan.

AWS CEO On New $13B Cloud, AI And Sustainability Investment In Australia

'This is the largest publicly announced global tech investment in the country's history and reflects the incredible innovation we're seeing from Australian organizations and their growing demand for advanced cloud and AI capabilities,' says AWS CEO Matt Garman. Amazon Web Services is continuing to invest billions in expanding its cloud infrastructure globally to drive AI and cloud sales by unveiling Monday a new $13 billion data center investment in Australia. "This is the largest publicly announced global tech investment in the country's history and reflects the incredible innovation we're seeing from Australian organizations and their growing demand for advanced cloud and AI capabilities," said AWS CEO Matt Garman Monday on LinkedIn. In addition to new data centers in the region, AWS unveiled plans to build three new solar farms in Australia to support the infrastructure expansion. "With this commitment, we're also doubling down on sustainability with three new renewable energy projects to power our operations," said Garman. "From startups to enterprises to government agencies, we're excited to support Australia's digital future." [Related: Google Wiz Deal Hit With Antitrust Prove; $3.2B Breakup Fee On The Line] Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured above right) was at AWS' headquarters in Seattle on Sunday to meet with Garman (pictured above left) and his leadership team. "This is the largest investment our country has seen from a global technology provider and is an exciting opportunity for Australia to build AI capability using secure, resilient infrastructure," said Prime Minister Albanese in a statement Monday. Over the next four years, AWS will invest $13 billion in developing additional data centers and expanding its existing facilities in Sydney and Melbourne. Three new solar farms will be built in Victoria and Queensland that will power and support the infrastructure expansion. European Energy will design and operate the solar farm projects with Amazon committing to purchase a combined capacity of more than 170 megawatts across the three solar farms. The ultimate goal is to boost cloud computing and AI adoption and capabilities throughout the country. "It puts the latest cloud and AI capabilities into the hands of hundreds of thousands of AWS customers and partners to drive innovation at scale, while ensuring local data residency and regulatory requirements are met," said Amazon in a statement. AWS' initial investment in Australia started in 2012 with the opening of the AWS Asia Pacific Region in Sydney. In 2023, AWS launched the AWS Asia Pacific Region in Melbourne and the country's first AWS Local Zones in Perth. Last year, the Australian government unveiled an AWS partnership to provide a "Top Secret" AWS Cloud to deliver cloud innovation in national security and defense and enhance the nation's defense and intelligence capabilities. AWS' CEO said the company's new investment will help grow and develop Australian businesses of all sizes and help them "harness the enormous opportunity that generative AI offers." "We're proud to be expanding our world-class data center infrastructure, bringing more renewable energy projects online and supporting the country's vision to be a global AI leader," said Garman. "AI is a once-in-a-generation transformation, and Amazon is pleased to be empowering all Australians to innovate at scale through this investment."

Amazon Commits $13 Billion To Expand Australia's AI Data Center Infrastructure - Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN)

Amazon.com Inc. AMZN announced on Wednesday plans to invest AU$20 billion ($13.02 billion) through 2029 to expand its data center infrastructure across Australia, marking the nation's largest global technology investment in history. What Happened: The investment will strengthen Amazon Web Services' cloud computing and artificial intelligence capabilities in Sydney and Melbourne, supporting growing customer demand for AI services. According to Australia's Department of Industry, Science and Resources, AI and automation could contribute AU$600 billion ($390.48 billion) annually to the nation's GDP by 2030. "This planned investment deepens our long-term commitment to supporting the growth and development of Australian organizations of all sizes," said Matt Garman, AWS CEO, during the announcement with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Seattle. The expansion builds on AWS's decade-long presence in Australia, which began with the Sydney Region launch in 2012. AWS opened its Melbourne Region in 2023 and launched Amazon Bedrock generative AI services in the Sydney Region last April. To support the infrastructure expansion, Amazon is investing in three new solar farms across Victoria and Queensland, adding more than 170 megawatts of renewable energy capacity. Why It Matters: The investment follows Amazon's recent $10 billion North Carolina data center commitment, highlighting the company's aggressive AI infrastructure expansion. Since 2017, AWS has trained more than 400,000 Australians in digital skills through various programs. Albanese called the investment "exactly the kind of economic investment in our nation that we want to see," emphasizing job creation and AI capability development. AWS serves hundreds of thousands of Australian organizations, including Commonwealth Bank, ANZ Bank, Telstra and Canva, many leveraging generative AI services for operational transformation. According to Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings, AMZN shows strong growth and positive momentum, supported by a modest valuation. The stock has maintained a favorable price trend across both short- and long-term timeframes. Click here for the full stock breakdown. Read Next: Taiwan Blacklists Huawei And SMIC, Citing National Security -- Manufacturers Must Carefully Assess 'Transaction Risks' As US-Led Chip War With China Intensifies Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Photo courtesy: Markus Mainka / Shutterstock.com AMZNAmazon.com Inc$213.530.67%Stock Score Locked: Edge Members Only Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Unlock RankingsEdge RankingsMomentum58.98Growth97.14Quality70.10Value49.58Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewMarket News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Amazon to invest $13 billion in Australia's data center infrastructure over five years

(Reuters) -Amazon will invest 20 billion Australian dollars ($12.97 billion) from 2025 to 2029 to expand, operate and maintain its data center infrastructure in Australia, aiming to bolster the nation's artificial intelligence capabilities, the company said in a blog post on Saturday. The investment is Amazon's largest global technology commitment in Australia, with funding directed toward new server capacity and support for generative AI workloads. The company also said that it is investing in three new solar farms in Victoria and Queensland, and will commit to purchase a combined capacity of more than 170-megawatts across the three solar farms. The move comes amid a global push by major tech companies to build out infrastructure to support rapidly growing demand for generative AI and cloud computing. Companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Google have been ramping up data center investments to secure market share and meet AI workload requirements. ($1 = 1.5418 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Surbhi Misra in Bengaluru; Editing by Richard and Nick Zieminski)

Amazon to Invest Nearly $13 Billion in Data Centers in Australia

Amazon plans to invest about $13 billion to expand its Australian data center infrastructure, as it seeks to meet the boom in global demand for artificial-intelligence computing. The investment of 20 billion Australian dollars, the equivalent of $12.97 billion, through 2029 will strengthen the country's cloud computing and AI capabilities to support strong demand from customers, the Seattle-based tech giant said Saturday. Amazon is also investing in three new solar farms to support the data centre infrastructure expansion. The spending plan is Australia's largest publicly-announced investment from a global technology provider, it said. The investment "will set us up for the future, boosting our economy and productivity. This is a huge vote of confidence in the Australian economy," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a social media post on X. AWS, Amazon's cloud-computing arm, has trained over 400,000 people in Australia since 2017 to develop digital skills, and will continue to support generative AI programs, it said. The investment comes as companies like Amazon, Microsoft and Google continue to invest heavily in expanding their data centers amid growing competition for AI computing. Over the past few weeks, Amazon has announced plans to spend at least $20 billion in Pennsylvania and $10 billion in North Carolina to expand its AI infrastructure, as well as a $5 billion investment in Taiwan to launch a new cloud services region on the island. AWS has more cloud and infrastructure regions in the pipeline, including in Chile, New Zealand and Saudi Arabia.