[News] Meta Commits USD 10 Billion to Canadian AI Data Center, Plans Dedicated Power Plant
Meta has announced plans to invest approximately USD 10 billion in a new data center in Sturgeon County, Alberta, marking the company’s largest data center investment outside the United States.
Covering roughly 270,000 square meters—equivalent to about 33 football fields—the hyperscale facility will become Meta’s 33rd global data center. With a planned power capacity of 1 GW, it will also be the company’s largest international computing hub, consuming enough electricity to supply approximately 750,000 households. The project places Canada among the world’s key AI infrastructure markets and underscores the rapidly growing demand for computing power in the AI era.
To secure the enormous energy requirements of the facility, Meta plans to build a 932 MW natural gas-fired power plant that will be connected to Alberta’s provincial grid. The company has also worked with local energy providers and grid operators years in advance to coordinate network planning and will fully fund upgrades to supporting transmission infrastructure to ensure reliable electricity supply before and after the data center enters operation.
On the sustainability front, the facility will deploy a closed-loop liquid cooling system with dry cooling technology, eliminating water consumption for cooling during normal operations. Meta also committed to covering all water supply and wastewater treatment costs associated with the project, aiming to minimize its environmental footprint.
The construction is projected to create approximately 3,000 jobs, while the completed facility will support around 300 permanent technical positions. According to the Alberta government, the project could generate roughly CAD 250 million in annual economic output through taxes, royalties, and other direct revenues, providing a long-term boost to the regional economy.
Gary Demasi, Meta’s Vice President of Data Center Development and Strategy, said the investment reflects the company’s confidence in Canada’s infrastructure environment and represents a key milestone in the expansion of Meta’s global AI computing network.
(Photo credit: Meta)
