Google announced the official opening of its new data centre campus in the town of Winschoten, in the province of Groningen, Netherlands. This new facility will help meet the increasing demand for Google’s AI-powered services, such as Google Cloud, Workspace, Search, and Maps, which are used by people, businesses, and public organisations around the world every day.
Data Centre in the Netherlands comes at a time when AI adoption is accelerating in both public and private sector settings across Europe, Google cites studies estimating that generative-AI adoption could boost Dutch GDP by €80-85 billion over ten years.
“Digital infrastructure is essential for the digital economy. It is necessary to achieve the country’s ambitions in artificial intelligence (AI). Our ongoing investments in technology, clean energy, and AI training are helping ensure that people in Winschoten and the Netherlands stay at the forefront of global technology opportunities,” said Marco Ynema, Google’s data centre lead in the Netherlands.
The Winschoten site is designed with off-site heat recovery capabilities, allowing the waste heat it generates to be used in future district heating systems to warm local homes, schools, and businesses.
Additionally, the facility is equipped with solar panels on the roof and advanced air-cooling technology, which minimises water usage for only essential domestic needs.
Construction of the data centre began in December 2023. Currently, Google collaborates with nearly 160 Dutch suppliers, including 77 from the province of Groningen, for its operations in the country.
Google’s data centres in the Netherlands, including the one in Winschoten, currently provide jobs for approximately 700 people in various roles.
Alongside its 42-region global infrastructure network, this site helps to offer lower-latency, local compute and storage capacity, especially crucial for European Union customers concerned with data-sovereignty, performance and regional regulation.
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