Brisbane Quantum Computing Megaproject Moves Forward

Silicon Valley quantum computing company PsiQuantum will partner with German industrial giant Linde Engineering to build one of the largest cryogenic plants designed for quantum computing—in the Queensland capital. The partnership advances PsiQuantum’s $1.4-billion Brisbane facility towards operational reality. The cryogenic cooling plant is a critical milestone for the world’s first commercial-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer, which would span amore than 100,000sq m at a site near the Brisbane Airport. Construction is expected to begin later this year and completion is targeted for the end of 2027. Linde Engineering would construct and test the cooling system before installation at the Brisbane site. The plant would cool tens of thousands of PsiQuantum’s silicon photonic chips to ultra-low temperatures required for fault-tolerant operation at the million-qubit scale. The Linde partnership follows PsiQuantum’s March appointment of Lendlease as preferred construction partner for the facility. Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer lead partner and global co-head of infrastructure Nicholas Carney said the developments bring the project closer to constructing the major national infrastructure and technology investment. Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer advised PsiQuantum on the Lendlease appointment as well as the $1.4-billion support package from the Australian and Queensland governments announced late last year. PsiQuantum chief operating officer Fariba Danesh said building the world’s first utility-scale computer required more than advanced technology. “Our Brisbane facility will be the first of its kind, and partnering with Lendlease ensures it will meet the rigorous standards needed to house and operate this system,” Danesh said. ▲ The Brisbane facility is to comprise three main structures. The main office and research building would serve as PsiQuantum’s Asia-Pacific headquarters, housing up to 400 staff across quantum engineering, software, cryogenics and related disciplines. A large warehouse-style quantum computing operations building would contain hundreds of cryogenic cabinets arranged in racks, each holding silicon photonic chips and detectors interconnected via optical fibre. The third structure would house the cryogenic plant designed by Linde Engineering. The project is progressing through regulatory approvals. PsiQuantum lodged an Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act referral on January 6 of 2025 and it is currently in the assessment phase. PsiQuantum secured the site through a heads of agreement with Brisbane Airport Corporation late last year, appointing Jacobs in March of 2025 to deliver masterplanning, schematic design and owner’s engineer services for the 50,167sq m facility. ▲ An example of the Linde Cryogenic Cooling system to be used to build the cryogenic cooling system for Brisbane’s quantum computer. The construction timeline has shifted from the previously indicated start date before July to later this year, allowing for completion of regulatory processes. Meanwhile, the company’s sister project in Chicago, where it would deliver a second utility-scale quantum computer by 2028, has received final zoning approval. The PsiQuantum project is among a number of major expansions in Australia’s technology infrastructure sector. In June, NextDC received Victorian Government approval for its $3-billion M4 data centre campus at Fishermans Bend, featuring an AI factory, mission critical operations centre and 150MW of power across 50,000 square metres. The facility followed NextDC’s sequential Melbourne expansion including the 6000sq m M1 facility at Port Melbourne, the 25,000sq m M2 centre at Tullamarine and the recently completed M3 at West Footscray spanning 41,000sq m with 150MW capacity. NextDC also acquired a $353-million site in October of 2024 for a 550MW data centre at Eastern Creek, Sydney. Property giant Goodman Group has similarly committed more than half of its $20.8-billion global development workbook to data centres , recently proposing a $1.1-billion hyperscale facility for Guildford West in Sydney called Project Pluto.

Brisbane Quantum Computing Megaproject Moves Forward

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