international
Melbourne's data centre boom sparks fire fears
Key takeaways
- Located only 10 kilometres west of Melbourne's CBD, this data centre site in West Footscray spans 41,000 square metres.
- Fire Rescue Victoria insiders say they are concerned about the risks posed by an influx of data centres in Melbourne's west.
- The state government says fire agencies were consulted throughout planning processes, adding that projects must meet stringent fire safety requirements.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Located only 10 kilometres west of Melbourne's CBD, this data centre site in West Footscray spans 41,000 square metres. (ABC News: Kyle Harley)
Fire Rescue Victoria insiders say they are concerned about the risks posed by an influx of data centres in Melbourne's west.
The insiders say they are specifically worried about the service's ability to respond to incidences of thermal runaway — where lithium-ion batteries undergo an uncontrollable chemical reaction that produces significant amounts of heat, resulting in a self-sustaining fire.
Article preview — originally published by ABC Australia. Full story at the source.
Read full story on ABC Australia →
More top stories
Also covered by
Aggregated and edited by the Scoop newsroom. We surface news from ABC Australia alongside other reporting so you can compare coverage in one place.
Editorial policy · Corrections · About Scoop