Meta building first major data center in Canada
Meta Platforms is constructing its first major data center in Canada, located in Alberta. The facility is expected to cost approximately $9 billion and take two to three years to build.
Meta Platforms announced Tuesday it is building its first large-scale data center in Canada, located in the province of Alberta. The 1-gigawatt facility will cost the company approximately $9 billion and is projected to take two to three years to complete.
The site in Alberta, western Canada, was chosen due to the province's substantial energy availability and favorable regulatory environment, making it an attractive location for data center development. Situated in Sturgeon County, the area is already zoned for industrial use and has capacity for additional energy infrastructure.
This construction is part of Meta's broader strategy to expand its artificial intelligence infrastructure, as the company competes with major players like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon in the AI and cloud computing sectors. Meta is also reportedly planning to develop a cloud computing business that could offer excess capacity to third parties.
The project is expected to support over 3,000 construction jobs at its peak. Meta has worked with local energy firms to plan for the facility's energy needs. However, reports have raised environmental concerns regarding emissions, water consumption, and noise associated with large data centers.