Meta has announced plans to invest more than C$13 billion (about US$9.1 billion) to build its first artificial intelligence data center in Canada. Located in Sturgeon County, Alberta, the facility will be Meta's largest AI data center outside the United States and is intended to support the company's growing AI ambitions, including training and running large AI models that power products such as Llama.
The project is expected to have a capacity of 1 gigawatt, with the potential to expand to 1.8 gigawatts, making it one of the largest AI infrastructure investments in Canada. Construction is expected to create around 3,000 jobs, while the completed facility will support more than 300 permanent positions. Alberta officials welcomed the investment, citing the province's favorable regulations, abundant natural gas resources, and cool climate as key factors in attracting hyperscale AI infrastructure.
To address the enormous energy demands of AI computing, Meta will fund new power generation and grid infrastructure. The company plans to source electricity from a new natural gas-fired power plant being developed with partners, while also investing in renewable energy projects to offset emissions. The data center will feature a closed-loop cooling system designed to reduce water consumption and minimize pressure on local water resources.
The investment reflects Meta's broader strategy of rapidly expanding AI infrastructure to compete with rivals such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and OpenAI. As demand for AI computing continues to surge, the company is investing heavily in large-scale data centers worldwide. At the same time, projects of this scale have sparked debate over their environmental impact, particularly their energy consumption and reliance on fossil-fuel-powered electricity, highlighting the challenge of balancing AI growth with sustainability.
