Meta to build C$13 billion Alberta data centre, its first in Canada

Source Domain: thenextweb.com

Meta, the mother company behind the popular social media platforms, is embarking on an ambitious project to construct its first data centre in Canada. Located in Sturgeon County, northeast of Edmonton, this 1-gigawatt campus is expected to cost around C$13 billion, making it Meta’s largest facility outside the United States and its 33rd worldwide. The initiative is part of Meta’s broader capital-expenditure strategy, which aims to expand its computational power for its Superintelligence Labs. In building this large infrastructure, Meta has partnered with Alberta-based Pembina Pipeline to ensure the data centre’s energy needs are met through the Greenlight Electricity Centre starting in late 2030. Meta also promises contributions to local infrastructure and area nonprofits.

Key Points:
– Meta announces its first Canadian data centre, the biggest outside the US.
– Sited in Sturgeon County, Alberta, the project also involves investing in local infrastructure and supporting community nonprofits.
– The facility will rely on natural gas from Pembina Pipeline to meet its extensive energy requirements, set to start operating in late 2030.
– The project is expected to create thousands of construction jobs over two to three years, although questions about long-term sustainability and local grid impacts remain.
– This new data centre is part of Meta’s broader plan to expand its compute capacity in response to AI demand, even as global utilities invest over a trillion dollars in grid infrastructure.