Google announced it will start building a new data centre in Hoogkerk and is investing €600 million in the project.
The tech company has already invested about €3.8 billion euros in data centres in the Netherlands, two of which were located in Groningen, and in the digital infrastructure that it needs to operate them. Last year Google announced they would start building a data centre in Winschoten as well.
The new data centre will be located in Westpoort’s business park, in the vicinity of Hoogkerk. For this, €600 million was invested by the tech company and it’s expected to generate about 125 new jobs.
“We also continue to actively support local social organisations, schools and companies in Groningen and the Netherlands,” Data Centre Lead in the Netherlands Marco Ynema said in a statement.
Since 2014, Google has been contributing to the Dutch economy and its Netherlands data centres have generated about €840 million a year between 2017 and 2022. The investments and activities of Google in Eemshaven and Middenmeer generated about 410 jobs a year.
The tech giant also aspires to be a partner to the Netherlands, one of the digital frontrunners of Europe. The growing need for digital infrastructure for the increasing amount of Dutch companies that use the cloud is part of the reason why Google invests so much in it here.
One of Google’s goals is to have zero emissions for their data centre and offices and the plan is to have 90% CO2-free energy by 2024.
The data centre will be able to collect the residual heat from the cooling process of the servers to give to suitable customers. This will help with preserving energy and will contribute locally to the energy transitions. It will also have solar panels on the roof and the cooling devices will be chilled with air to not waste any water.
