Meta invests 9.1 billion dollars in an AI data center in Canada

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has announced an investment of over $9.1 billion for the construction of its first data center for artificial intelligence in Sturgeon County, Alberta, Canada.

This will be the largest facility of its kind outside the United States. The project will be powered by a natural gas plant, developed by a consortium that includes Pembina Pipeline Ltd. Alberta's Minister of Technology and Innovation, Nate Glubish, emphasized the importance of this project for the province, which has created a favorable regulatory framework to attract investments in data centers.

However, the rapid development of artificial intelligence raises concerns related to energy and water consumption, and Alberta prioritizes projects that ensure its own energy generation. Meta will implement a closed-loop cooling system, without extracting water from external sources, and will invest $42 million in local infrastructure. The associated power plant, with a capacity of 932 megawatts, is scheduled to become operational in the second half of 2030.