Meta has officially announced plans to construct its first Canadian data centre in Sturgeon County, Alberta, backed by an investment exceeding $13 billion. This project is being touted as one of the largest private-sector investments in Canadian history.
Construction of the facility is projected to create more than 3,000 jobs, with an additional 300 permanent positions once the centre is operational. Beyond job creation, Meta is contributing approximately $60 million toward local road and water infrastructure upgrades. The project is expected to generate about $250 million annually for Albertans through various royalties, taxes, levies, and fees.
To power the facility, Meta will fully fund new on-site natural gas generation. This setup, combined with new grid infrastructure, is expected to lower transmission costs and potentially reduce utility bills for Albertans by up to six per cent.
“We’re thrilled to announce Meta’s first Canadian data centre in Alberta. Sturgeon County is the perfect home for Meta for several reasons, including its strong access to infrastructure and energy, talented workforce, and outstanding community partners,” said Gary Demasi, Meta’s vice president of Data Centre Strategy and Development.
The data centre will utilize a closed-loop, liquid-cooled system featuring dry cooling, ensuring it does not draw down local water resources. The site will be located within Alberta’s Industrial Heartland, a designated industrial zone that does not impact residential housing, farming, or food production.
“Artificial intelligence is transforming the global economy, and Alberta is making sure we lead rather than follow,” said Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. “This project will create thousands of jobs, generate hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue, and make electricity more reliable and affordable.”
Getting AI data centres built to keep up with consumer demand is tough nowadays. There’s NIMBY pushback, plus generating electricity and water is also a problem. This is where the SpaceXAI plan to put data centres in space seems not so far fetched, but it remains to be seen if it can ever happen (it will rely on Starship).
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