Google expands in Europe, plans to build $773 million Dutch data center
Google is investing 600 million euros in the Netherlands through the construction of a new data center.
The build, worth approximately $773 million, was revealed in a blog post Tuesday. Google said the data center, hosted in Eemshaven, the Netherlands, will take roughly four years to build and will be operational by 2017.
The company expects to provide 1,000 workers construction roles initially, and once the data center is operational, 150 people will be employed in both full-time and contractor roles. Staff will include IT technicians, electrical and mechanical engineers, catering, facilities and security staff.
In addition, the data center will be environmentally friendly, according to the firm. Google's head of data center community relations for Europe William Echikson wrote:
"The new Dutch data centre will benefit from the latest designs in cooling and electrical technology. It will be free-cooled -- taking advantage of natural assets like cool air and grey water to keep our servers cool.
Our data centers use 50 percent less energy than a typical datacenter -- and our intention is to run this new facility on renewable energy."
Google has invested heavily in Europe in recent years, and this will be the company's fourth "hyper-efficient" facility in the region to date. Google emphasises that construction of a new Dutch data center does not mean others will close as a result, and the firm's existing rented datacenter facility in Eemshaven will continue to operate. The tech giant also plans to expand in Dublin, Ireland, Hamina, Finland, and in St. Ghislain in Belgium.
While Google is happy to invest in European facilities, the company has recently come under fire from EU regulators due to an antitrust investigation relating to the online search market.
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