Meta will build its first data centre in Canada north of Edmonton—a $13-billion investment that will be the largest data centre in the country.
The US social media giant announced the news on Wednesday. The one-gigawatt centre, which will be built in Sturgeon County, was first announced last year. At the time, partners Pembina Pipeline Corporation, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners and Kineticor Asset Management said they would build and power the data centre to serve an unnamed client.
Meta said it will invest $13 billion in the project. The company claimed the centre will create 3,000 construction jobs while it is built and support 300 jobs once it is operational. The company is also spending $60 million on local infrastructure improvements, including upgrades to roads and water systems.
Meta said it will pay the full costs of the data centre’s energy use, fund new grid and generation infrastructure, and match its use with renewable energy. The centre will utilize a closed-loop cooling system, which Meta said will minimize water consumption.
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Feature image courtesy Meta.