Meta Begins Huge C$13bn AI Data Centre Project in Canada

A C$13bn (US$9.16bn) hyperscale data centre campus is under construction in Sturgeon County, Alberta, marking Meta’s entry into the Canadian market. 

The 1GW facility brings the company’s global infrastructure count to 33 locations and will support AI workloads alongside existing corporate products used by billions of users worldwide.

The development will deliver employment for 3,000 construction workers during peak build and more than 300 permanent roles once operational. 

According to Meta, the site selection process prioritised energy access, infrastructure readiness and regional talent availability.

The facility represents one of the largest technology infrastructure investments in Canadian history.

Energy infrastructure coordination

Meta worked with Greenlight Limited Partnership, AltaLink, Capital Power and the Alberta Electric System Operator to plan grid integration years before the facility becomes operational. 

The company will fund all energy costs associated with the data centre and is financing new power generation capacity alongside grid infrastructure upgrades.

Rachel Peterson, Vice President of Data Centres at Meta, explained the approach on LinkedIn. 

“We’re fully funding new generation and grid infrastructure in Alberta which improves the reliability for all consumers,” she says.

The facility will match its electricity consumption with 100% clean and renewable energy. According to the company, this funding model aims to prevent negative impacts on local consumers while improving grid reliability across Alberta.

The collaborative planning process involved multiple stakeholders across the provincial energy sector.

Meta’s energy strategy for the site focuses on what Rachel described as a framework “that strengthens the grid”. The advance planning addresses projected energy demands well before operations commence, ensuring the facility integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure.

Water conservation systems

The Sturgeon County campus uses a closed-loop, liquid-cooled system combined with dry cooling technology. According to Meta, this design eliminates operational water consumption within the cooling loop.

Onsite water use will be restricted to domestic functions, fire protection and equipment maintenance. Meta will fund all water and wastewater infrastructure service costs and publishes annual withdrawal data on its website for transparency.

Rachel says the facility’s “annual operational water use is projected to be less than one typical golf course in the region”. The company targets water-positive status by 2030, intending to restore more water than it consumes globally across owned operations.

According to Rachel, construction methodology matters because “how we build matters just as much as where and how fast”. She added this reflects “responsible operations by design”.

The water conservation approach demonstrates the company’s commitment to environmental stewardship from the earliest planning stages.

Regional investment commitments

Meta will provide approximately C$60m (US$42m) for municipal infrastructure improvements in the surrounding area. The funding targets road and water system upgrades that will benefit the broader community beyond the data centre campus itself.

The company plans to launch its Data Center Community Action Grants programme in the region this autumn. The initiative provides direct funding to local non-profit organisations.

“As we continue scaling Meta’s data centre fleet to meet the demands of AI, every site we add is a deliberate choice: not just about where to build, but about how we show up as a long-term partner,” Rachel says.

She adds that the company selected Sturgeon County for “its access to energy and infrastructure, strong talent base, and a great set of community partners committed to working with us to move this project forward”.

Rachel says “long-term community commitment” remains a priority. “We pay the full costs of our energy and water use so other consumers aren't impacted,” she says.

According to Rachel, the investment “represents a significant milestone in our infrastructure journey”. She says she was “proud to add Canada to our global portfolio and even more proud to call Sturgeon County and Alberta home”.