New Zealand: Solar-powered data center to heat surfing lagoon in New Zealand

In New Zealand, Aventuur, a leisure park developer, has shared plans to heat a surfing lagoon using a solar-powered data center. The company is already in the process of building a surf park in Perth, Australia, which, it has outlined, is set to open in 2025.

In Auckland, meanwhile, it's planning a "sustainable surf park community" that will feature a  2.2-hectare surfing lagoon. The park will also house a data center powered by a nearby 17.5-acre solar farm. The waste heat from this facility will be used to warm the water. Further details regarding the data center have not yet been shared. 

The site will reportedly see an investment totaling AU$100 million ($64.6m), with between $50-100 million invested into each of its parks.

Aventuur has shared that it is in the early stages of planning for the project.

“In a world-first, we’re seeking to capture the heat generated by an on-site data center to warm the water of our lagoon – delivering optimal surfing conditions year-round,” the company said. 

“To create a sustainable virtuous circle, a 7-hectare solar farm (also located on-site) will provide renewable energy for the data center," it added. 

Project partner Sir John Kirwan said to NewsBeezer that the company expects to keep lagoon temperature at around 18 to 19 degrees all year round. 

"Anyone who's surfed in New Zealand during the winter will be thrilled with this news,” he said. 

Adding: “No one else in the world has done it this way and we are particularly proud of this innovation. This means that users of the park can surf not only in a safe environment, but also, literally, in a warm and welcoming environment. This will also ensure that the surf park attracts both domestic and international tourists.”