The Singapore-based AI company will become Tasmania’s largest electricity consumer

An artificial intelligence (AI) company will become Tasmania’s largest electricity user if its ambitions to build three “AI factories” in the state come to fruition.

Singapore-based Firmus Technologies is building an AI factory in the Launceston suburb of St Leonards, which is expected to be operational early next year.

Firmus said the factory will contain data center infrastructure and specialized computers that use graphics processing units to produce “AI tokens” needed for tools such as the generative AI chatbot ChatGPT.

Now the Tasmanian government has announced Firmus’ plans for two more AI factories.

Energy Minister Nick Duigan, responding to questions from the Greens in budget estimates earlier this month, said Firmus wanted to build plants in Bell Bay, north of Launceston, and in Wesley Vale in the state’s northwest.

Firmus also plans to build facilities in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and…