# New Zealand AI Data Center Market > New Zealand AI Data Center Market: USD 273.46 million in 2026, USD 846.81 million by 2035, 15.91% CAGR from 2025, led by Auckland cloud regions. Publisher: DC Market Insights Author: Amit Jain, DC Market Insights Published: 2026-03-12 Last updated: 2026-10-22 Next review: Apr 2027 Page: https://www.dcmarketinsights.com/report/new-zealand-ai-data-center-market ## Key takeaways - Renewable Contracts Pull AI Campuses South: Datagrid's 360 MW at Makarewa - Direct-to-Chip Cooling Becomes the Default Design - Dry-Year Price Spikes - Operations Services for a 356 MW AI Base **Frequently Asked Questions** **What is the size of the New Zealand AI Data Center Market in 2026?** USD 273.46 million in 2026, up 41.30% from USD 193.53 million in 2025, according to DC Market Insights estimates. The market is projected to reach USD 846.81 million by 2035, a CAGR of 15.91% from 2025. **How fast is the New Zealand AI Data Center Market growing?** 15.91% a year from 2025 to 2035, down from 95.08% a year in 2020-2025, because AI completions level off near 40 MW a year after 2030 while services grow. **How much does an AI data center megawatt cost in New Zealand?** USD 14.20 million per MW of IT load in 2025 before servers: USD 5.00 million electrical, 4.55 million cooling, 4.00 million shell, fit-out and racks and 0.65 million network fabric (DC Market Insights estimate). **Which region grows fastest in New Zealand AI data centers?** Southland and Otago, at 38.65% a year to USD 152.43 million by 2035, because Datagrid's consented 360 MW Makarewa campus uses renewable power from the south. **Which segment grows fastest?** Operations Services and Software, at 38.75% a year from USD 5.41 million in 2025 to USD 143.14 million in 2035, as installed AI capacity rises to 356 MW. **Which companies lead New Zealand AI data center building?** CDC Data Centres, AWS and Microsoft hold about 64% of 2025 AI hall spend (DC Market Insights estimate). TenPeaks, DCI Data Centers, Datacom and Datagrid follow. **What is Datagrid's Makarewa project?** 360 MW: Datagrid's consented AI campus near Invercargill, in which Mercury took a 12.7% stake for USD 30 million in July 2026. A final investment decision is expected later in 2026. **Does Auckland still lead New Zealand AI data centers?** Yes, with 80.00% of 2025 spend, USD 154.83 million. Its share falls to 57% by 2035 as Southland and Taranaki campuses grow. **How do electricity prices affect AI data centers in New Zealand?** NZ$1.14 million a year is the bill change for one AI megawatt per NZ$100/MWh price swing; wholesale prices moved from over NZ$280/MWh in August 2025 to NZ$30/MWh in October 2025. **Why do New Zealand AI Data Center Market estimates differ?** USD 273.46 million in 2026 is the DC Market Insights figure for AI hall facility infrastructure only. Estimates that add GPU servers, AI cloud services or AI software are several times larger. **What does the New Zealand AI Data Center Market include and exclude?** USD 193.53 million of 2025 spend covers AI hall power, cooling, shell, fit-out, racks, in-hall network fabric and operations services. It excludes GPU servers, storage, land, electricity bills, colocation rent, GPU cloud revenue and halls built only for racks below about 30 kW. **How much of New Zealand's electricity was renewable in 2025?** 88.5% of electricity generated in New Zealand in 2025 came from renewable sources, according to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. That renewable supply is why Mercury took a 12.7% stake in Datagrid's consented 360 MW Makarewa campus in July 2026. **What is the projected size of the New Zealand AI Data Center Market in 2030?** USD 608.55 million in 2030, up from USD 193.53 million in 2025 and USD 273.46 million in 2026, according to DC Market Insights estimates. The market is then projected to reach USD 846.81 million by 2035, a CAGR of 15.91% from 2025. ## Dataset | Series | Value | Unit | | --- | --- | --- | | Market size 2025 | 193.53 | USD million | | Revenue CAGR | 15.91 | % | | Market size 2035 | 846.81 | USD million | ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the size of the New Zealand AI Data Center Market in 2026? USD 273.46 million in 2026, up 41.30% from USD 193.53 million in 2025, according to DC Market Insights estimates. The market is projected to reach USD 846.81 million by 2035, a CAGR of 15.91% from 2025. ### How fast is the New Zealand AI Data Center Market growing? 15.91% a year from 2025 to 2035, down from 95.08% a year in 2020-2025, because AI completions level off near 40 MW a year after 2030 while services grow. ### How much does an AI data center megawatt cost in New Zealand? USD 14.20 million per MW of IT load in 2025 before servers: USD 5.00 million electrical, 4.55 million cooling, 4.00 million shell, fit-out and racks and 0.65 million network fabric (DC Market Insights estimate). ### Which region grows fastest in New Zealand AI data centers? Southland and Otago, at 38.65% a year to USD 152.43 million by 2035, because Datagrid's consented 360 MW Makarewa campus uses renewable power from the south. ### Which segment grows fastest? Operations Services and Software, at 38.75% a year from USD 5.41 million in 2025 to USD 143.14 million in 2035, as installed AI capacity rises to 356 MW. ### Which companies lead New Zealand AI data center building? CDC Data Centres, AWS and Microsoft hold about 64% of 2025 AI hall spend (DC Market Insights estimate). TenPeaks, DCI Data Centers, Datacom and Datagrid follow. ### What is Datagrid's Makarewa project? 360 MW: Datagrid's consented AI campus near Invercargill, in which Mercury took a 12.7% stake for USD 30 million in July 2026. A final investment decision is expected later in 2026. ### Does Auckland still lead New Zealand AI data centers? Yes, with 80.00% of 2025 spend, USD 154.83 million. Its share falls to 57% by 2035 as Southland and Taranaki campuses grow. ### How do electricity prices affect AI data centers in New Zealand? NZ$1.14 million a year is the bill change for one AI megawatt per NZ$100/MWh price swing; wholesale prices moved from over NZ$280/MWh in August 2025 to NZ$30/MWh in October 2025. ### Why do New Zealand AI Data Center Market estimates differ? USD 273.46 million in 2026 is the DC Market Insights figure for AI hall facility infrastructure only. Estimates that add GPU servers, AI cloud services or AI software are several times larger. ### What does the New Zealand AI Data Center Market include and exclude? USD 193.53 million of 2025 spend covers AI hall power, cooling, shell, fit-out, racks, in-hall network fabric and operations services. It excludes GPU servers, storage, land, electricity bills, colocation rent, GPU cloud revenue and halls built only for racks below about 30 kW. ### How much of New Zealand's electricity was renewable in 2025? 88.5% of electricity generated in New Zealand in 2025 came from renewable sources, according to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. That renewable supply is why Mercury took a 12.7% stake in Datagrid's consented 360 MW Makarewa campus in July 2026. ### What is the projected size of the New Zealand AI Data Center Market in 2030? USD 608.55 million in 2030, up from USD 193.53 million in 2025 and USD 273.46 million in 2026, according to DC Market Insights estimates. The market is then projected to reach USD 846.81 million by 2035, a CAGR of 15.91% from 2025. ## How to cite Data Center Market Research & Consulting | DC Market Insights, "New Zealand AI Data Center Market", updated 2026-10-22, https://www.dcmarketinsights.com/report/new-zealand-ai-data-center-market