Google announced a €500 million expansion to its data centre in Eemshaven, the Netherlands. This investment will help Google meet growing European consumer demand.
First established in 2016, the data centre currently employs around 250 people. Google’s decision to continue investment in Holland is a reflection of the country’s unparalleled technology infrastructure and highly-educated workforce. Google was also attracted to Holland’s commitment to renewable energy. In fact, the Eemshaven data centre was Google’s first data centre to run on 100% renewable energy from its first day of operation.
“Google has chosen the Eemshaven location for several reasons, including the excellent infrastructure, high-speed fibre connections and availability RES,” said Pim van der Feltz, Director of Google Netherlands. “But equally important is the support of the local community and we are grateful to the local and regional government and local suppliers and people from the area for this.”
“The expansion of Google’s data centre shows that Groningen has a lot to offer international technology companies, such as sufficient renewable energy, well-trained staff and excellent ICT connections,” said Eric Wiebes, Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. “The construction of this data centre also makes the region more attractive for other international technology companies.”
Since 2014, Google’s Eemshaven data centre has contributed nearly €800 million to the Dutch economy. This announcement will increase Google’s total investment in Holland to nearly €1.5 billion. The data centre has also created 2,200 jobs in fields such as IT, electronics and engineering.
