Meta to Build First Major Canadian AI Data Center in Alberta
Meta announced plans to build its first large-scale Canadian data center in Sturgeon County, Alberta, a 1-gigawatt facility costing approximately $9 billion (C$13 billion). The project, Meta’s 33rd globally, will support over 3,000 construction jobs and 300 permanent positions. Alberta was chosen for its abundant energy and favorable regulations. The facility will use a closed-loop liquid cooling system to minimize water use, but environmental groups criticized its reliance on natural gas. The expansion is part of Meta’s aggressive AI infrastructure push, though investor skepticism persists due to high capital expenditures.
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Meta Platforms Announces $9 Billion Data Center in Alberta, Canada
Meta Platforms (META) announced a $9 billion investment to build its first-ever Canadian data center in Sturgeon County, Alberta. The 1-gigawatt facility, scalable to 1.8 gigawatts, will be dedicated to scaling AI workloads and Llama models. It is Meta's 33rd data center globally and first outside the US. The company partnered with local energy providers Pembina Pipeline and Capital Power to fund new grid infrastructure and offset carbon consumption through clean energy projects. Meta shares rose slightly on the news but are down about 6% year-to-date. Wall Street maintains a 'Strong Buy' consensus with a mean price target of $824, implying 35% upside. The article notes seasonal trends favoring Meta stock in July and August.
Yahoo FinanceMeta Platforms To Build $9 Billion AI Data Centre In Canada
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) announced plans to build its first artificial intelligence data centre in Canada, a $9 billion USD facility in Sturgeon County, Alberta, near Edmonton. The 1-gigawatt data centre will be Meta's 33rd and is part of the company's rapid expansion to meet AI infrastructure demand. Construction is expected to take three years, supporting over 3,000 jobs at peak. Alberta was chosen for its energy resources and friendly regulatory environment. Meta is working with local energy firms including Altalink, Capitol Power, and the Alberta Electric System Operator. The announcement comes as Meta struggles to catch up to AI leaders like Anthropic and Alphabet, and competes with Microsoft and Amazon in cloud computing. Meta has forecast up to $145 billion in AI capital expenditures this year. META stock is down 18% over the past 12 months, trading at $603.12.
Yahoo FinanceMeta Platforms To Build $9 Billion AI Data Centre In Canada
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) announced plans to build its first artificial intelligence data centre in Canada, a $9 billion USD facility in Sturgeon County, Alberta, near Edmonton. The one-gigawatt data centre, Meta's 33rd, will take three years to construct and is driven by demand for AI infrastructure. Alberta was chosen for its energy resources and friendly regulatory environment. The project will support over 3,000 construction jobs at peak and involve local energy firms including Altalink, Capitol Power, and the Alberta Electric System Operator. Meta is expanding into cloud computing to compete with AI leaders like Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, with capital expenditures forecast at $145 billion USD this year. Meta's stock is down 18% over the past 12 months, trading at $603.12 USD per share.
Yahoo FinanceMeta and Capital Power sign 250MW energy supply agreement for Alberta data centre
Canadian independent power producer Capital Power has signed a 250MW energy supply agreement (ESA) with Meta Platforms to power a new data centre in Sturgeon County, Alberta. The contract, lasting more than ten years, will provide energy and capacity from Capital Power's Alberta generation assets, including the Genesee thermal station. Meta will begin drawing power once the facility becomes operational in the latter half of 2028. Capital Power CEO Avik Dey highlighted that AI infrastructure will be built where power is reliable and scalable, praising Alberta's investment environment. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith noted the deal will create jobs, generate revenue, and reduce transmission costs. The agreement is part of Capital Power's strategy to meet rising North American electricity demand driven by industrial development, electrification, and digital infrastructure. This follows a separate 298MW solar PPA between Meta and RWE in Texas.
Yahoo FinanceMeta to build C$13 billion Alberta data centre, its first in Canada
Meta announced on Wednesday it will build a massive C$13 billion (US$9.17 billion) data centre in Sturgeon County, Alberta, its first in Canada. The 1-gigawatt facility, scalable to 1.8 GW, is part of Meta's global AI infrastructure expansion. The data centre will be powered primarily by natural gas, with Meta funding new generation and grid infrastructure. Meta partnered with Pembina Pipeline for a new natural gas-fired power plant and will use Capital Power for initial electricity supply. The company claims it will offset electricity use with clean energy investments and use a closed-loop liquid cooling system to minimize water consumption. Alberta's government has been actively courting tech investment, and the province's technology minister indicated more gigawatt-scale proposals are in development. Greenpeace Canada criticized the announcement, calling for a moratorium on mega-data centres until environmental and human rights protections for AI are legislated.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Meta Breaks Ground on First Canadian AI Data Center in Alberta
Meta announced it has broken ground on its first data center in Canada, located in Sturgeon County, Alberta, near Edmonton. The facility represents an investment of over CAD $13 billion (roughly $9 billion) and is planned as a 1-gigawatt data center optimized for AI workloads. It will be Meta's 33rd data center globally and is expected to support more than 3,000 construction workers at peak and over 300 permanent operational jobs. Meta will also spend about CAD $60 million on local infrastructure improvements. The facility will use a closed-loop, liquid-cooled system with dry cooling to avoid continuous water usage. The mayor of Sturgeon County welcomed the project for bringing jobs and long-term tax revenue. Meta currently operates 28 data centers in the US, including a massive site in Louisiana.
All Content from Business InsiderMeta expands data center build-out to Canada with $9.18 billion Alberta facility
Meta (META) announced plans to build its first Canadian data center in Alberta as part of its broader AI infrastructure expansion. The 1-gigawatt facility, the 33rd in Meta's global fleet, will cost approximately $9.18 billion and support 3,000 construction jobs, with 300 permanent workers upon completion. Meta is also investing $42.4 million in local infrastructure upgrades. The data center will use a closed-loop liquid cooling system with dry cooling, requiring no operational water use. This expansion comes as Meta plans to spend $125-$145 billion on data centers this fiscal year, which has concerned investors amid a 16% stock decline over 12 months. The company has reorganized its AI efforts under Meta Superintelligence Labs, releasing Muse Spark and Muse Image models. Additionally, Meta is reportedly considering selling excess computing capacity to third parties, potentially competing with Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and CoreWeave, which could provide a new revenue stream.
Yahoo FinanceMeta to Build First Major Canadian Data Center in Alberta as AI Expansion Continues
Meta announced it will build its first large-scale Canadian data center in Sturgeon County, Alberta, a 1 gigawatt facility costing approximately $9 billion over two to three years. The company cited Alberta's abundant energy supply and favorable regulatory environment as key factors. This is Meta's 33rd data center globally and part of its aggressive AI infrastructure buildout. Simultaneously, Meta is planning a cloud computing business that could sell excess capacity to third parties. The project faces investor skepticism due to Meta's high capital expenditures and lagging position in AI model leadership. Local environmental concerns about emissions, water use, and noise have also been raised. Meta stated it worked with multiple energy firms to meet long-term power needs and that the project will support over 3,000 construction jobs at peak.
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