MORE INFORMATION

Backup power. Clear answers.

Why generators run, what you may notice, and how we keep neighbours informed.

M3 Melbourne community Have a question or concern? Talk to us

Generator activity & updates

Keeping our neighbours informed.

Find out when generators may operate at M3, what’s planned and what’s changed.

  • Planned maintenance
  • Monthly reporting
  • Activity recorded

 

Upcoming activity

  • Dec

    Planned maintenance

    Generators run one at a time for approximately 10 – 15 minutes each. You may hear engine noise for around 20 minutes at a time.

Latest updates

  • Advance notification

    We’ll confirm planned maintenance times at least 7 business days beforehand.

How backup power works

A simple explanation

Our data centres have multiple layers of power resilience. Backup generators are one of those layers and only run when the normal grid supply is not available, or during planned commissioning and maintenance.

Normal operation (grid supply)

If grid supply is unavailable

Electricity grid

Normal power supply from the grid.

NEXTDC data centre

Power is supplied to keep critical infrastructure running 24/7.

Backup generators

Automatically start when the grid supply is unavailable, or during planned commissioning and maintenance.

When might generators run?

Three situations

Backup generators run in three situations:

  1. 01

    Commissioning

    When new parts of the facility are brought online.

  2. 02

    Routine maintenance

    Regular maintenance to ensure our back-up generators are ready to operate when needed.

  3. 03

    Power interruption

    When there is an unexpected loss of normal power supply from the grid.

What we commit to

Keeping you informed

We're committed to being a good neighbour by providing advance notice, sharing information about planned activity and updating the community if generators run.

Our Community Standards

Advance notice

We publish at least 7 days' notice of planned commissioning and maintenance.

Publish every run

We share a record of all planned and unplanned runs, with results published in monthly reports.

Keep you informed

Updates on this page and via community notices.

Common questions

Quick answers

Find quick answers to the most common questions about backup generators at M3 Melbourne.

Do generators make noise?

Generators can produce noise when they run. We use acoustic controls and operate in accordance with our approvals to minimise the impact on our neighbours.

What is the maintenance schedule for generators?

Generator service maintenance is planned once every three months.

What about Air Quality?

EPA Victoria regulates air quality and emissions from generators. At M3, we monitor air quality at several locations across the site. We will be sharing the results in a report published each month. Once November monthly reporting is concluded, we will publish the results on the M3 Community webpages.

Still have a question?

We're here to help

Ask our community team. We'll reply within 7 days, and common questions are added to this page to help other neighbours.

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