Google has announced plans to invest €1 billion in the construction of a new data centre in Farciennes, near Charleroi.
The upcoming investment will fund the construction of an inaugural building on the site with two more projected for the same location. Google Belgium’s Data Centre Manager, Frédéric Descamps, stated that the construction schedule will be determined according to future demand.
The company also plans to invest in upgrades at its Saint-Ghislain site, near Mons, which include an extension to the existing data centre and an expansion of its solar park, though the budget for this has not been disclosed.
According to Google, the €1 billion commitment brings the total investment in Belgian infrastructure, including data centre and related construction, since 2007 to €5 billion. The new data centres will boost Google’s capacity to meet growing demand for AI and cloud services.
Supplementing the Saint-Ghislain site with a 1.4MW photovoltaic park will allow the company to ramp up its decarbonisation efforts. Google’s publicly stated goal is to nullify the aggregate net emissions of its operations and supply chain by 2030.
On the Farciennes site, residual heat from the data centre will be directed to a heat network, benefitting numerous local buildings.
