{"slug": "meta-to-build-first-ai-data-center-in-canada-largest-outside-us", "title": "Meta to build first AI data center in Canada, largest outside US", "summary": "Meta announced Wednesday it will invest more than $9.1 billion to build its first AI data center in Canada, located in Sturgeon County, Alberta, making it the company's largest such facility outside the United States. The project, supported by a natural-gas-fired power plant, is expected to create over 3,000 construction jobs and 300 operational jobs, with Meta pledging $43 million in local infrastructure investments and a closed-loop cooling system to address environmental concerns.", "body_md": "# Meta to build first AI data center in Canada, largest outside US\n\n[Meta](https://qazinform.com/tag/meta), the parent company of Facebook and [Instagram](https://qazinform.com/tag/instagram), [announced](https://x.com/MetaNewsroom/status/2074943556750311551) Wednesday that it will invest more than $9.1 billion to construct its first artificial intelligence data center in [Canada](https://qazinform.com/tag/canada) - and its largest outside the United States, [Qazinform News Agenc](https://qazinform.com/)y reports.\n\nThe facility will be built in Sturgeon County, Alberta, supported by a natural-gas-fired power plant developed by a consortium that includes Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Ltd.\n\n```\n“The project represents an investment of more than $13 billion Canadian dollars and will support over 3,000 construction workers at peak and more than 300 operational jobs,” the company’s statement reads.\n```\n\nAlberta’s Minister of Technology and Innovation, Nate Glubish, hailed the project as “a big deal for Alberta”, noting that the province has established a regulatory framework designed to attract large-scale data center investments.\n\nBecause Alberta’s grid cannot accommodate multiple massive AI centers, the province is prioritizing projects that secure or build their own power generation – a requirement Meta’s plan fulfills.\n\nTo address environmental concerns, Meta said the new center will employ a closed-loop cooling system that avoids drawing water from local sources. The company also pledged $43 million in local infrastructure investments, including upgrades to roads and water systems.\n\nEarlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Meta [had launched](https://qazinform.com/news/meta-launches-new-ai-powered-smart-glasses-starting-at-299-cea12e) a new AI-powered smart glasses.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/meta-to-build-first-ai-data-center-in-canada-largest-outside-us", "canonical_source": "https://qazinform.com/news/meta-to-build-first-ai-data-center-in-canada-largest-outside-us-359b6b", "published_at": "2026-07-09 20:18:00+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-09 20:19:36.929628+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-infrastructure", "ai-chips"], "entities": ["Meta", "Facebook", "Instagram", "Canada", "Sturgeon County", "Alberta", "Pembina Pipeline Ltd.", "Nate Glubish"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/meta-to-build-first-ai-data-center-in-canada-largest-outside-us", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/meta-to-build-first-ai-data-center-in-canada-largest-outside-us.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/meta-to-build-first-ai-data-center-in-canada-largest-outside-us.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/meta-to-build-first-ai-data-center-in-canada-largest-outside-us.jsonld"}}