Monash engineering experts: AI-driven data centre growth and Australia's energy system

Monash University

The expansion of artificial intelligence is driving growth in data centre infrastructure. Monash experts are available to comment on the energy, materials and system-level implications of this growth.

Dr Mehdi Ghazavi Dozein, Low-Carbon Energy Lab, Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering
Contact: +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]

Design, grid connection and operation of large electricity loads, including data centres and hydrogen electrolysers
AI-driven growth in data centre electricity demand and its implications for the power system
Modelling of data centre behaviour under normal operation and power system disturbances
Technical and regulatory frameworks for integrating large loads into Australia's electricity grid
Co-location of data centres with renewable energy, battery storage and other grid-supporting technologies
Network congestion, system flexibility and planning challenges associated with new large loads

Comments attributable to Dr Ghazavi Dozein:

“Data centres are fundamentally large electricity loads, not generation assets. That distinction matters for how we plan, connect and operate them within the electricity system.

“We use advanced modelling to understand how large loads, including large data centres, interact with the electricity system, how their demand changes over time, and what that means for reliable and stable grid operation.

“Through our research partnership with AusNet Services, we have been investigating how data centres behave under both steady-state and transient conditions. This includes how they respond during power system disturbances and what is needed to ensure reliable grid connection and operation, with the focus on modelling framework development, grid-code compliance analysis, and system level impact studies.

“At Monash, we’re expanding our large load laboratory capabilities with a testing platform for data centres. It means we can plug real equipment into a test system where a computer is simulating the rest of the electricity grid in real time. This allows us to see how data centres would behave under real grid conditions, without needing to risk the actual power system.

“Australia is well placed to support the growth of AI-driven data centres, but success will depend on establishing the right technical and regulatory frameworks for grid connection and operation.”

Associate Professor Liz Ratnam, Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering
Contact: +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]

The implications of large-scale computing demand for electricity networks and generation investment
Improving the security and resilience of electricity networks against faults and disruptions
Developing next-generation electricity markets that allow more dynamic, real-time energy trading
Coordinating and managing electric vehicle charging to support local electricity networks

Professor Matthew Hill, Head of Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Contact: +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]

How materials innovation could help data centres become low-energy buildings of the future
How breakthroughs in membranes, coatings, or thermal materials could reshape the sustainability of digital infrastructure
How materials science can reduce water and energy consumption in large-scale computing infrastructure
Waste heat recovery: how new materials could help capture, transfer or reuse heat from data centres

For more experts, news, opinion and analysis, visit Monash News.

For any other topics on which you may be seeking expert comment, contact the Monash University Media Unit on +61 3 9903 4840 or [email protected]