Data centers house the servers that power Google products including Gmail and YouTube.
According to a blog post from Joe Kava, VP of Global Data Centers, “To make sure that we're continuing to make space for the infrastructure that powers our products, new data centers like the one in Fredericia are crucial. In Fredericia, we’ve found a great business community and a location with existing infrastructure that fits what we’re looking for when we set out to build an efficient, modern data center.”
The company says it is committed to matching its energy use in the facility with 100 percent carbon-free energy. “We’re pursuing new investment opportunities (called Power Purchase Agreements, or PPAs) in Danish renewable energy projects like onshore wind, offshore wind and solar energy. In Europe, Google data centers typically use one third less energy than a typical data center, yet we’re still striving to use even less.”
Google says the new data center is expected to create new jobs in the community. According to consultancy firm Copenhagen Economics, the construction will support 1,450 jobs per year in 2018-2021. Once operational, around 150-250 people are expected to be employed at the site in a range of roles—including computer technicians, electrical and mechanical engineers, catering and security staff.
With construction work expected to run through 2021, Fredericia will be Google’s fifth data center in Europe, joining the company’s other sites in Ireland, Finland, the Netherlands and Belgium.
