$9.17 Billion: Meta Builds First Canadian Data Center in Alberta

Meta is constructing its inaugural data center in Canada, a significant $9.17 billion investment situated in Sturgeon County, Alberta. This facility, slated to be Meta's 33rd globally, will boast a one-gigawatt capacity and consume electricity comparable to that of 800,000 homes.

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On behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I reaffirm our unwavering commitment to every initiative aimed at preventing illicit drug use, dismantling trafficking networks, expanding access to treatment and rehabilitation, and promoting the wellbeing of all Nigerians.

The tech giant is committed to self-financing the entire power generation and grid infrastructure for the project. This move aligns with Meta's broader strategy of investing hundreds of billions of dollars to expand its artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Alberta's appeal to tech companies lies in its affordable natural gas and low temperatures, which reduce the cost of cooling the massive supercomputers. To meet the substantial energy demands, Meta is collaborating with Canadian pipeline operator Pembina. Pembina will construct a new gas-fired power plant in Sturgeon County, expected to be operational by late 2030, under a long-term offtake agreement with Meta. This plant will require approximately 4.25 million cubic meters of natural gas daily.

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No nation can achieve sustainable development when its young population is threatened by drug abuse and addiction. No society can attain lasting peace and prosperity when criminal networks engaged in illicit trafficking continue to undermine its institutions and exploit its vulnerabilities.

While the Canadian government has promoted the use of low-emission electricity for new data centers, many planned facilities, including Meta's, are in Alberta. This region's electricity generation relies heavily on fossil fuels, resulting in emissions nearly five times higher than the national average.

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The scale of this challenge demands a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.