The €600 million facility will use 100% carbon-free energy. Google says that it is actively pursuing new investment opportunities called Power Purchase Agreements in Danish renewable energy projects like onshore wind, offshore wind and solar energy.
Speaking at the Datacloud Nordic 2018 event in Copenhagen, Susanne Hyldelund, Denmark’s state secretary for trade, said: “We welcome Google to Denmark, the Digital Kingdom. Google’s investment will contribute 200m euros between 2018 and 2021 as an economic boost to Denmark. It is clear it will benefit the city of Frederica and Denmark as a whole.”
The new site is also set to create 1,450 construction jobs per year between 2018-2021. Once operational, it will enable around 150-250 additional jobs site in roles including computer technicians, electrical and mechanical engineers, catering and security staff. In addition, the increased economic activity in the area will also effect other job sectors like retail trade, hotels and transportation.
Google will continue to support local communities in the regions where it builds new facilities. Over the last few years, the company has invested €3.4 million in grants to initiatives that help develop the local skills base – like curriculum and coding programs, which Google will introduce to in Frederica.
Apple first announced plans to build a new data centre in Denmark in 2015, with the centre going live in 2017 with the company’s second one expected to go live sometime next year. Similarly, Apple uses entirely renewable energy to power its facility.
Google has made a number of announcements this month first starting with the announcement that Diane Greene, CEO of Google Cloud was stepping down from her role to pursue new opportunities in mentoring and education, with former Oracle Thomas Kurian taking over the role
