Ontario Construction Report staff writer
Meta will build a $13 billion data centre in Alberta, creating 3,000 construction jobs, Premier Danielle Smith announced last week.
PCL Construction will work in partnership with Clark Builders through the Frost Collective joint venture, alongside Stantec and SLB, on the transformative project.
“At its core, this project is about creating opportunities for skilled trades, supporting local economies and building the technology that keeps communities connected every day,” PCL wrote on social media. “We look forward to working with partners and communities to bring this project to life.”
Calling the project “one of the largest private-sector investments in Canadian history”, Smith said Meta will also contribute about $60 million for local infrastructure improvements, including roads and water infrastructure.
In addition, in partnership with Project Greenlight, a $4.6-billion, 970MW natural gas fired electricity generation facility announced last week by Pembina Pipeline Corporation, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners and Kineticor, Alberta ratepayers will see an up to six per cent decrease on their electrical bill’s transmission costs.
“Artificial intelligence is transforming the global economy, and Alberta is making sure we lead rather than follow,” Smith said. “We created the right conditions to attract world-leading investments while protecting the interests of Albertans. This project will create thousands of jobs, generate hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue, and make electricity more reliable and affordable.”
The province has released rules for large AI data centres that officials say will keep electricity reliable and affordable, protect water resources, ensure major projects pay their own way and ensure long-term economic benefits.
As a result, large data centres will be required to bring their own power, pay for the infrastructure needed to support their operations and meet strict environmental and water requirements.
“We’re thrilled to announce Meta’s first Canadian data centre in Alberta,” said Gary Demasi, vice president of Data Centre Strategy and Development, Meta. “Sturgeon County is the perfect home for Meta for several reasons, including its strong access to infrastructure and energy, talented workforce, and outstanding community partners.
“We look forward to creating jobs, partnering with community and government leaders, and driving positive impact for years to come.”
Meta’s Sturgeon Data Centre will use a closed-loop, liquid-cooled system with dry cooling that requires no operational water use for cooling. Water use at the site will be limited to domestic uses, fire protection and equipment maintenance, with all required approvals subject to Alberta’s Water Act.
Rather than relying solely on Alberta’s electricity grid, the project will combine grid-connected electricity with new on-site natural gas generation, helping protect grid reliability while supporting one of the largest private investments in Canadian history.
In Alberta, Meta is fully funding new generation and grid infrastructure to support the data centre, which will improve reliability across the entire Alberta grid and benefit all consumers.
“This data centre campus proves that Alberta has the power to drive and lead global innovation on our own terms,” said RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Affordability and Utilities. “By blending grid-connected power with self-generation, this project is designed to ensure the reliability and affordability of the power that Albertans, our businesses and our communities depend on every day.”