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Australia’s remote Indian Ocean territory, Christmas Island, is set to host a new Google data hub—an expansion that local leaders say the island can currently support without compromising power for residents. Alphabet’s Google confirmed it will build the facility and develop a subsea cable system linking Christmas Island to the Maldives and Oman. The project also includes two additional cables connecting eastward toward key Australian military regions, improving internet resilience across the Indian Ocean.
The announcement initially raised concerns about whether the island’s limited power infrastructure could support both the data centre and the needs of locals. Nicholas Gan, CEO of Phosphate Resources—the island’s largest employer—said the existing diesel-powered grid can comfortably meet current demands for residents, the mine, and Google’s facility. The phosphate company, which employs roughly half of the island’s 1,600 residents, operates the generator that supplies most of the island’s electricity.
However, Gan noted the system could be strained if the long-closed resort or the government’s asylum seeker detention centre were ever reopened. He added that Google’s arrival strengthens the case for transitioning to renewable energy, which would be more cost-efficient than imported diesel and could support sustainable long-term growth.
Australia’s infrastructure department is working with Google to ensure the company’s energy needs won’t disrupt local supply. Google confirmed that the new data hub will be smaller than its major global data centres and will share parts of its digital infrastructure with the island community. The company also said it is exploring ways to use its energy demand to help accelerate investments in sustainable power systems.
Local leaders believe the project will help revive economic activity on an island historically shaped by boom-and-bust cycles—from failed spaceport plans to the rise and fall of its casino and immigration detention centre. With mining entering its “last era,” the Google data hub could mark the beginning of a new economic chapter for Christmas Island.
