Latest news with #FirmusTechnologies
ABC News
5 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Tasmania enters the 'AI race' with Firmus Technologies factory in north of state
The construction of an "artificial intelligence (AI) factory" in northern Tasmania will bring economic benefits to the state and help ensure Australian data isn't sent overseas, an AI expert says. A company called Firmus Technologies is building a $2.1 billion AI factory in the Launceston suburb of St Leonards, set to be operational in the first half of next year. Co-chief executive Tim Rosenfield said the factory was different from a typical data centre — a building which houses computers and storage systems. "With an AI factory, the customer is the end user — it's you and me, it's folks in a bank, it's folks in a telco, it's folks in a mining company." Mr Rosenfield said AI factories produced the "tokens" needed for tools such as ChatGPT, a generative AI "chatbot" being increasingly used by Australians and people around the world. Toby Walsh, chief scientist at the University of New South Wales's AI Institute, welcomed the announcement of an AI factory in Tasmania. "People don't realise that to get things like ChatGPT serving up all those wonderful funny responses requires a lot of infrastructure in the cloud and we need to start building that infrastructure if we're going to be players in the AI race that's coming," Professor Walsh said. He said it was important these factories were built in Australia. "If they're overseas, we have to ship our data overseas — our sensitive personal data, our sensitive commercial data, our sensitive health data — with other people. That's a risk," he said. "And then the other risk is that — [and] we've seen this already that in the US — they can change their mind as to who they want to play with, and we may be therefore be easily cut off." Professor Walsh said big companies, including in tech and banking, would be relying on these factories. A data centre designed to be used by AI factories is also being built in Sydney, by NEXTDC. Firmus said it chose northern Tasmania as the location for its facility due to the availability of renewable energy and its cool climate. "We've always believed that green energy is an important part [of] delivering AI sustainably and responsibly," Mr Rosenfield said. Like data centres, AI factories require cooling systems due to the heat they generate. Mr Rosenfield said the Firmus project has a liquid cooling system that uses either oil or water in a closed loop. AI expert Toby Walsh said Tasmania was a logical location for an AI factory. "Tasmania is the obvious place to start building these because of the wonderful access that you have to hydroelectric power, to wind power, to do this in a sustainable way," he said. He said the use of a closed cycle cooling system would ensure the projects don't draw vast amounts of water from Tasmania's rivers and lakes. Mr Rosenfield said the factory would employ Tasmanians in construction and operation. "Roughly for every 50 megawatts or so of capacity, we're needing between 50 and 100 full-time staff to help operate this AI factory," he said. But Professor Walsh cast doubt on the number of employees the factory would require. "There will be a significant number of jobs to build these factories in the first couple of years, but once those factories are built, they don't employ that many people to run them." He said the project would, however, bring economic benefits to the state through the sales of tokens generated by the factory. Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff this week said he would establish an "AI factory zone" in northern Tasmania, where Firmus's project is being built. "We've worked very solidly together," Mr Rockliff said. "A business, an investment, saw an opportunity to invest in Tasmania, empowered by renewable energy." Tasmania is heading towards an election on July 19, and the Liberal party is not proposing to invest money in Firmus's factory. But Mr Rosenfield said the support was meaningful. "It's really a statement of intent that the government understands the importance of this new asset class, the AI factory, and is going to work to help us realise the vision of Tasmania and northern Tasmania as a globally significant hub of renewable AI," he said. It comes as other major Tasmanian projects have reported issues with getting enough power. The Boyer paper mill said this week it had not been able to secure Tasmanian-generated electricity to convert its coal-fired boilers to electric ones. Labor leader Dean Winter welcomed the project, but voiced concerns about power availability. "Firmus is a really exciting opportunity for the north," Mr Winter said. "But there's a big problem here — there isn't enough power. Firmus said the first stage of its project required 90 megawatts of energy. "The infrastructure for that is in place and the customer connection agreements are in place for that," Tim Rosenfield said. He said the company had been working with TasNetworks and the Australian Energy Market Operator for the past six to seven years on connecting to the grid. The company is planning a 300-megawatt second stage of the project, but Mr Rosenfield described it as "aspirational".
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Roxy Jacenko reveals the real reason her husband Oliver Curtis has 'disappeared', her huge plans for teen daughter Pixie and a terrifying near-death experience at a business event
She is set to bring her famous 'In Conversation with Roxy Jacenko' seminar back to life this week in Sydney. But one person who will not be joining the PR dynamo is her husband Oliver Curtis. Amid swirling rumours the couple's marriage is on the rocks, Roxy has firmly denied they have split and revealed the real reason the former high-flying investment banker has seemingly vanished off the grid. While the mother-of-two, 44, frequently posts to social media including posts with her children Pixie, 13, and Hunter, 11, Roxy's husband of 13 years rarely features on her Instagram feed. Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, she said that while it might seem like Oliver has 'disappeared', it was more of a case of business as usual. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Roxy Jacenko has revealed why husband Oliver Curtis has apparently vanished off the grid Oliver, a former Macquarie banker and the son of wealthy mining industry executive Nick Curtis, could be on the road to becoming a billionaire. He turned a $250,000 personal investment in Firmus Technologies into a whopping $81 million last year. His business is based in Singapore and the company has a facility in Launceston, Tasmania. 'Oli has never been keen on social media – he works hard and wants to focus on that without the noise of social media,' Roxy explained. 'My work is in social media so its an important part of my day to day, it's a business for me – its not for him and I respect that.' The family relocated to Singapore in 2024, with Roxy frequently jetting back to Australia for work and Oliver conspicuously absent during her Down Under trips. Roxy said that it was Oliver's tireless work ethic that keeps him from travelling more frequently. 'His office is based in Singapore and he has a large operation there, he spends time back and forth to Launceston, Tasmania where he also has a facility,' she said. Despite her current long commute from Singapore to Australia, Roxy revealed that the family has no immediate plans for a permanent move back Down Under. While the PR maven, 44, frequently posts to social media including posts with her children Pixie, 13, and Hunter, 11, Roxy's husband of 13 years rarely features on her Instagram feed 'Oli has never been keen on social media – he works hard and wants to focus on that without the noise of social media,' Roxy revealed. 'My work is in social media so its an important part of my day to day, it's a business for me – its not for him and I respect that.' 'I have no plans to come back to live in Sydney, coincidently if you asked me this a year ago it would have been a very different answer,' she said. 'I come back and forth for work as my business, The Ministry of Talent and to spend time with my Mum. 'Other than that, I am happy being in Singapore and have the incredible opportunity to travel the world as everything is so close.' Roxy said when it comes to Singapore, the pros definitely outweigh the cons - humidity (which she's now used to) and the high cost of living. She added that her children are adapting well to their adopted homeland, while also providing a more convenient base for Pixie, who is set to finish her schooling in Switzerland where she will be mingling with other socialites' children. 'With Pixie heading to finish school in Switzerland it's a great location,' she said. 'Hunter is also excelling in school in Singapore and has the most incredible group of friends he's met from all around the world.' Roxy is also preparing to host another of her popular In Conversation events on Friday despite describing the live seminar events as 'cursed' in the past. The family recently relocated to Singapore, with Roxy frequently jetting back to Australia for work Despite her current long commute from Singapore to Australia, Roxy revealed that the family has no immediate plans for a permanent move back Down Under 'I have no plans to come back to live in Sydney, coincidently if you asked me this a year ago it would have been a very different answer,' she said. 'I come back and forth for work as my business, The Ministry of Talent and to spend time with my Mum' Roxy has very good reason to be wary, with the PR maven facing an almost near death experience back in 2015 during her Tips and Tricks seminar. Never one to cancel an event, Roxy made the dangerous decision to check herself out of hospital following rhinoplasty surgery. 'It was my first ever In Conversation event I had two sessions booked at Sydney's Intercontinental, Double Bay for 120 people per session – there was NO way I could cancel it in my mind, people had taken time off their week to attend and paid good money to learn,' she said. 'To this day ill never forget it, I had been in Infectious diseases ward in Prince of Wales for a week, my face was swollen up like a soccer ball and I looked like a horror story. Roxy added that she soldiered on despite her husband Oliver and mother Doreen saying she was 'mad' for going on with the show. 'Oli and my mother Doreen both thought I was mad, but I booked a stylist to sort me out two looks - [celebrity stylist] Marina Didovich and Norman Gonzales - who is the master of hair and make-up to give me a glow up. 'What he did with contouring made me look more tennis ball than soccer ball. I had the nurses disconnect me from the IV and a driver collect me and off I went. 'Between sessions which was about 4 hours I went back to hospital and got back on the IV … till the next session.' Roxy is also preparing to host another of her popular In Conversation events in Sydney later this month, and despite describing the live seminar events as 'cursed' she pushes on regardless Her 2019 In Conversation event also made headlines after entrepreneur Anthony Hess walked on stage and abused Roxy with inappropriate and vulgar language. 'That was awful,' she said. 'Looking back at it and his motives for causing such chaos based on desire for notoriety and fame were sick. I have never looked for "fame", I have been fortunate to have familiarity from my craft. I have always said, be famous or known for being good at something – not for what you do wrong.' The fracas didn't end their either, with Roxy claiming that after the event Anthony graffitied the walls of her Paddington office. Roxy said that the ordeal was a tough one to deal with. 'Waking up to a call that my name was spray painted from one end of Sydney's Eastern suburbs to the other was distressing,' she said. 'Not only my own commercial premises where my some 20+ staff had to walk into that morning but also on any blank space from Paddington to Bondi, was nothing short of horrible. She added that the vulgarities expressed in the graffiti was even tougher for her young children to grasp. 'What was worse was my young children at the time having to see such words as "Roxy is a c***" and "Roxy is a Fraud" on their way to school. Roxy has very good reason to be wary, with the PR maven checking herself out of hospital, to host her 2015 Tips and Tricks seminar, following rhinoplasty surgery Her 2019 In Conversation event also made headlines after she claimed entrepreneur Anthony Hess walked on stage and abused Roxy with inappropriate and vulgar language The fracas didn't end their either, with Roxy claiming that after the event, Anthony had graffitied the walls of her Paddington office 'What was worse was my young children at the time having to see such words as "Roxy is a c***', and 'Roxy is a Fraud' on their way to school 'I was forced to quickly go and buy my own cans of spray paint from the local Mitre 10 and spray OVER my name until I had the help from local councils and a friend who runs a large painting company to remove and repaint all the spaces he covered.' Roxy applied for an AVO against Anthony which was rejected by a magistrate. 'It's a fact, between altercations and then appearing on stage with a blood infection and IV in my arm its fair to say that I need to invest in more than an evil eye,' she said of the upcoming show on Friday. 'That said, one thing I guess it does show is no matter what set back you've got to get up and get on with it, no matter what.' She added that it was fan demand that inspired her to host another seminar. 'I have had SO many people reach out via social media and email asking me to bring the in person seminar back I thought I would do ONE last show,' she said. 'With everything becoming so very in-personal because of our obsession with online I actually felt it was important – in person is KEY in business and people seem to have forgotten that.' After Friday, Roxy is planning to put her feet up - if only for a little while. 'Next stop is Bali with the family for mid-term break, a short 2-hour flight from Singapore – I haven't been in about 10 years so I am really looking forward to it and the new Regent property in Cannguu that we are staying at,' she explained. 'I've become Dora the Explorer!' Tickets for In Conversation with Roxy Jacenko Sydney 2025 are on-sale at
Bloomberg
13-03-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Data Center Operator Firmus Seeks $120 Million Private Loan
A Singapore operating entity of Australian data center firm Firmus Technologies is seeking a $120 million private loan to fund its capital expenditure, according to people familiar with the matter. Nomura Holdings Inc. has provided Firmus Metal Singapore Pte. a $60 million tranche, and approached private credit funds for the remaining half of the loan, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters. The facility is set to pay a cash interest of 11% over the risk-free benchmark Secured Overnight Financing Rate, the people added.
