Google to invest €600 million in fourth data center in the Netherlands
Google will invest 600 million euros to construct a new data center on the industrial estate Westpoort in Groningen. This will be the tech company's fourth data center in the Netherlands, and the company reported that it has invested around 3.8 billion euros in the Netherlands thus far.
Google already has a data centre at Eemshaven in Groningen. There are auxiliary facilities at Winschoten and in the west of the city. These complexes are known for using a relatively high amount of electricity.
The company said the new data center is necessary to meet the growing demand for artificial intelligence and cloud services. "We invest in local projects for green energy, which means we can bring green energy to the local power grid," the American tech company stated.
"Organizations and governments in the Netherlands are increasingly moving to the cloud. Cloud computing usage has almost doubled in the Netherlands in the last five years. The rise in demand is why Google is investing in digital infrastructure, which helps expand everybody's access to information," a press release stated.
Google announced earlier this year that the data centers will be powered by wind energy from the North Sea. The tech company had agreed on a deal regarding this with a partnership of Shell and Eneco. They will supply the electricity for the tech company's buildings.
Google also has data centers in Denmark, Finland, Belgium, and Ireland, where the company's head European office is located.
Reporting by ANP