Data Vault plans new North Shore data centre in Auckland

Data Vault has announced a new 3MW data centre on Auckland's North Shore as part of a wider plan to add about 6MW of capacity across Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington.

The New Zealand-owned operator has already acquired the building for the North Shore site and confirmed 11 connectivity and service partners for launch. Fit-out is scheduled to begin in 2027, with the first stage expected to become operational in the second half of that year.

The project follows continued growth at Data Vault's Grafton facility as the company expands its Auckland footprint. Data Hall 3 at Grafton is fully contracted, while Data Hall 4 is due to become operational in the first quarter of 2027 and Data Hall 5 is scheduled to follow in the third quarter.

The wider expansion programme includes a further 1MW in Grafton, another 1MW at its Te Rapa site in Hamilton and about 300kW in Wellington. Together with the North Shore project, those plans amount to 5.3MW of identified additional capacity, with further options under review as part of the broader 6MW target.

Peter White, General Manager, Data Vault, said demand was coming from a mix of network operators, cloud providers and international technology companies.

"We've seen significant demand from network operators, cloud providers and international technology companies looking for high-quality colocation in New Zealand. Data Hall 3 is full, we've secured a major international anchor customer for Data Hall 4, and we're already progressing Data Hall 5 for next year. The North Shore development is the next logical step. We've secured the building and expect to start bringing capacity online next year, giving our customers another Auckland location and greater geographic diversity," White said.

Launch partners

For the North Shore site, Data Vault has lined up Eon Fibre, Devoli, EdgeIX, Verge Infrastructure, WaveSquared, Hostpearl, Vetta Group, Mercury, Purelink, Vital and Megaport as launch partners. More are expected to be added before the facility opens.

Customers at the site will be able to access fibre networks, internet services, internet exchanges, cloud connectivity and other network services from the first day of operation. The North Shore facility will continue the company's carrier-neutral model, allowing customers to choose their preferred providers.

Data Vault's existing Grafton operation is approaching 70 autonomous system numbers across its network ecosystem and has access to internet exchanges including EdgeIX, NZIX and MegaIX. The North Shore facility is intended to mirror that approach in a second Auckland location.

"We're not building a facility and then hoping the network providers turn up. We've already confirmed 11 launch partners, with more to come. Customers will have access to a wide range of services and providers from day one. We've built a strong connectivity ecosystem at Grafton, and our intention is to bring that same approach to North Shore from the outset," White said.

Efficiency focus

Energy use is another priority in the expansion programme. The new developments will use modern cooling systems, aisle containment and power infrastructure designed to improve power usage effectiveness.

Data Vault already has rooftop solar installations at its Grafton and Hamilton facilities and plans further large-scale solar projects, including at the North Shore site. That reflects growing customer scrutiny of energy costs and site efficiency as rack demand rises.

"Power efficiency is becoming increasingly important for our customers. We're investing in modern cooling technology and better facility design to maximise the amount of power available for customer IT equipment. We already have solar generation at Grafton and Hamilton, and we're looking to expand on that as we develop new facilities. It's about improving efficiency, reducing operating costs and keeping our facilities commercially competitive," White said.

Customer segment

Data Vault is focusing on mid-density colocation rather than the hyperscale and artificial intelligence infrastructure that has attracted much of the sector's recent investment. It sees demand from network operators, cloud providers, managed service providers and enterprise customers that do not require very high rack densities.

At the same time, the business is nearing completion of its SOC 2 readiness programme. Enhanced security and operational controls will be rolled out across all facilities alongside the North Shore development, covering physical security, monitoring, operational procedures and governance as the company works towards independent SOC 2 attestation.

"Security and compliance are becoming increasingly important, particularly for enterprise and international customers. We've been investing in our systems, processes and physical security to ensure consistent standards across our facilities as we grow," White said.

Data Vault operates sites in Auckland and Hamilton and manages operations at its Wellington facility in partnership with Vital.

"We're not trying to be the biggest data centre operator in New Zealand. Our focus is on building highly connected, efficient and reliable facilities, providing good service and making sure we have capacity available as our customers grow," White said.