Global search and online advertising giant Google is expanding its large data centre in Hamina, Finland.
The firm has operated the centre in the southern city since 2011 and has expanded the facility a number of times.
Google currently employs around 400 people in Hamina and it is expected that the new expansion will create about 100 new jobs.
In addition to IT professionals, the centre also employs electrical workers, cleaners and security guards.
Google bought more land from the city a couple of years ago and opened its sixth data centre in 2020 in an old papermill formerly owned by Stora Enso. Its seaside location allows it to use seawater to cool the massive complex, which is powered by wind-generated electricity.
According to the data centre's manager, Jukka Vainonen, the expansion will cost around one billion euros, bringing investments the company has made at the facility to about 4.5 billion euros since the completion of its latest data centre.
If construction goes smoothly, Vainonen estimated that the new addition will be online and ready to serve customers towards the end of summer next year.
For the first time Google also plans to donate heat generated at the facility to local energy firm Hamina Energia. The facility has used the heat exclusively for its own purposes for the past decade.
Vainonen noted that the facility's excess heat will provide Hamina with about 80 percent of its district heating requirements.
"We want to be good neighbours and serve the surrounding area and local residents. We don't need the heat ourselves, so if we can do something good locally, it's great," he said.
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