NAB Morning Call Weekend Edition: NextDC – shovels for the AI gold-rush
Feb 27, 2026
Luke Mackinnon, Senior VP and MD for Asia at NextDC, leads the company’s push building Tier 4, AI‑ready data centres across Asia. He discusses high‑density AI “factories” like KL1 and TK1. Power scarcity, gigawatt campus planning, rapid staged rollouts, co‑location validation with partners, and why specialised infrastructure is essential for sovereign and hyperscale AI needs.
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NextDC Is Building KL1 And TK1 For AI
- NextDC is opening two Tier 4 AI-optimised facilities in Asia this year.
- Luke describes KL1 as 65 MW (stage 1 ready in May) and TK1 as a 30 MW central Tokyo facility next to Tokyo Tower.
Power Availability Is The Primary Constraint
- Power is the gating constraint for data centre expansion and sits at the centre of investment decisions.
- NextDC prioritises secure, firmed green energy and views the 'energy trilemma' as the core determinant of where it can deploy capital.
Partner For Power Rather Than Become A Utility
- Focus on strong partnerships for power and infrastructure rather than vertical integration into utilities.
- NextDC prefers to select competent local power partners and build relationships rather than become a power supplier itself.