Meta has announced plans to invest more than $9.1 billion (€8.4 billion) to build its first artificial intelligence data centre in Canada, marking the company’s largest AI facility outside the United States. The project will be located in Sturgeon County, Alberta, as demand for advanced computing infrastructure continues to rise.
The Facebook and Instagram parent company said the new data centre will support its expanding artificial intelligence operations and will be powered by a dedicated natural gas-fired electricity plant currently being developed by a consortium that includes Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Ltd.
The announcement represents one of the largest technology investments in Alberta and strengthens the province’s ambition to become a major destination for AI infrastructure. Alberta has actively sought to attract hyperscale data centres by creating policies designed to encourage investment while addressing the region’s power supply limitations.
Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish welcomed the project, describing it as a significant milestone for the province. He said Alberta’s regulatory framework has been designed to attract large-scale technology investments and position the province as a competitive location for next-generation digital infrastructure.
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence has led technology companies around the world to build larger data centres capable of handling increasingly complex computing workloads. These facilities require substantial amounts of electricity and advanced cooling systems, raising concerns about their impact on power grids, water resources and surrounding communities.
To address those concerns, Alberta has adopted a policy that encourages developers of major AI facilities to secure their own electricity generation rather than relying solely on the provincial grid. Meta’s project follows that approach by pairing the data centre with its own dedicated power source.
The company also said the facility will use a closed-loop cooling system that will recycle water internally instead of drawing supplies from nearby lakes, rivers or other local water sources. The design is intended to reduce environmental pressure while maintaining efficient operations.
Meta has also committed to investing $42 million (€37 million) in local infrastructure, including improvements to roads and water systems that will support the project and surrounding communities.
The power plant supplying the data centre will be the 932-megawatt Greenlight Electricity Centre. Pembina Pipeline, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners and Kineticor Asset Management confirmed last week that construction of the facility would move forward, while Meta was identified as its primary customer during Wednesday’s announcement.
The Greenlight Electricity Centre is expected to begin operations during the second half of 2030, providing the energy required for the new AI campus. Once completed, the Alberta facility is expected to become one of Meta’s most significant global investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure, reflecting the company’s continued expansion of computing capacity to support its growing portfolio of AI products and services.
