Mobii partners with North Rakaia for NZ green data centre

Mobii Green Energy Group has signed a significant agreement with New Zealand-based North Rakaia Ltd to establish a green hydrogen data centre in Canterbury.

The project, which is set to involve 850MW solar farms, 300MW wind farms, and several green hydrogen production facilities, carries an initial investment valued at USD $2 billion for its first phase. This marks the first implementation of Mobii Green Energy's Global Green Hydrogen Intelligent City (Green HI-City) initiative.

The New Zealand Green Hydrogen Intelligent City project was solidified through a cooperation agreement signed by Kenny Tseng, Chairman of Mobii Green Energy Group, and Yali Li, Founder of North Rakaia Ltd, at the Selwyn District Council office. The agreement was witnessed by Sam Broughton, Mayor of Selwyn District Council, with international partners Supermicro, VNET, and TSTI in attendance to collaborate on the green hydrogen data centre.

Broughton described the partnership as one of New Zealand's most extensive data centre investments. "This collaboration will accelerate technological innovation in green energy and AI, lay the foundation for the country's green transition, create significant employment opportunities, and assist New Zealand into the AI era," he said.

The project will integrate support from global leaders to utilise the latest Nvidia GB200 liquid cooling solution from Supermicro, manage construction and operations of the data centre by VNET, and handle system integration by TSTI. Google will also contribute through cloud computing services.

Mobii Green Energy will license its patented green hydrogen technology for the project, which involves the joint operation and maintenance with North Rakaia Ltd, who will also invest USD $25 million in Mobii's Pre-A funding round. This investment secures North Rakaia's exclusive collaboration rights in New Zealand.

The sites in Canterbury, strategically linked to the National Grid, aim to extend power capacity beyond the region, enhancing the computing capabilities for New Zealand and the broader Asia Pacific region.

"This collaboration is a crucial step in advancing Mobii's global Green Hydrogen Intelligent City plan," said Kenny Tseng. He elaborated on the importance of integrating green energy with computing power, hoping to create the world's first Green HI-City in New Zealand. This would potentially reduce the nation's reliance on gas and coal for peak power and pave the way towards achieving carbon neutrality.

According to North Rakaia Ltd, the partnership not only propels New Zealand's transition to green energy but also serves as a catalyst for local AI infrastructure developments. The hydrogen-powered data centre aims to position New Zealand as a hub for global AI innovation.

Simon Watts, Minister of Climate Change, and Minister of Revenue of New Zealand expressed support for the initiative during a meeting with Mobii and its partners. He acknowledged New Zealand's robust foundation in solar, wind, and hydrogen development.