Firmus Technologies Appeals Generator Restrictions for Bell Bay Data Centre

Data centre company Firmus Technologies has lodged an appeal with the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT) seeking to modify conditions placed on its newly approved 288-megawatt AI facility at Bell Bay. The challenge specifically targets restrictions on the operation of 276 proposed backup diesel generators.

The George Town Council approved the development in August by a 6–1 vote at the site of the former Gunns pulp mill at Long Reach, 15 kilometres south of George Town. The facility will make Firmus the largest power user in Tasmania. However, the council attached 15 conditions to the approval, including Condition 13, which strictly limits when backup generators can operate.

Contest Over Backup Generator Rules

Under Condition 13, the 276 diesel generators are restricted to operating during unscheduled mains power failures, routine testing, or genuine emergencies. Testing and maintenance are limited to weekdays between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm, excluding public holidays, with simultaneous testing capped at 24 total hours per calendar year. The condition explicitly prohibits using the generators to supply electricity during normal operations or to augment mains power.

Firmus filed its appeal on September 10, labeling Condition 13 "unreasonable." In its application to TASCAT, the company stated that the rule fails to consider facility operational requirements, power security, and the benefits of generator use during network stress or supply curtailment. Firmus is seeking amendments that would allow limited generator operation to supplement the main grid during energy market stress. When asked about expected generator usage frequency, Firmus declined to comment.

Community Appeals and Environmental Requirements

The data centre project has generated strong local opposition, marked by a petition with over 6,000 signatures and demonstrations outside council chambers. Firmus's legal challenge is one of six appeals submitted to TASCAT regarding the development. The remaining appeals were lodged by local residents living across the river in Rowella, including Nicholla Thompson and Anne-Marie Bastian, who expressed concerns regarding noise, light pollution, air quality, and potential disruptions to nearby vineyards and wedding venues.

Along with generator restrictions, Firmus must meet other council requirements prior to construction, such as submitting an updated bushfire hazard and emergency management strategy. This requirement arose after the company initially reported 128 backup generators on site instead of the planned 276. Additionally, the project requires air and noise quality assessments and bans vegetation clearing during eagle season. Firmus is also awaiting a decision from state energy provider Hydro Tasmania regarding a 450-megawatt power allocation request across three planned data centres in the state.