Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced Wednesday that it will invest more than US$9.1 billion to build its first artificial intelligence data centre in Canada—the company’s largest AI facility outside the United States.
The new data centre will be located in Sturgeon County, Alberta, and will be powered by a dedicated natural gas-fired power plant being developed by a consortium that includes Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Ltd.
Alberta’s Minister of Technology and Innovation, Nate Glubish, welcomed the announcement, describing the investment as “a big deal for Alberta.” He said the province has introduced a regulatory framework designed to attract major data centre investments.
As demand for AI infrastructure continues to grow worldwide, Alberta has positioned itself as a destination for hyperscale data centres. However, the expansion of AI has also raised concerns about the significant energy and water consumption required to operate these facilities, along with the potential impact on electrical grids and surrounding communities.
To address those challenges, Alberta is prioritizing AI projects that can generate or secure their own power supply, rather than relying solely on the provincial grid. Meta’s planned facility aligns with that strategy by incorporating its own dedicated energy source.
The company also stated that the data centre will feature a closed-loop cooling system, eliminating the need to draw water from nearby natural sources. In addition, Meta has committed US$42 million toward local infrastructure improvements, including upgrades to roads and water systems in the surrounding community.
