Apple Investing $2B in Energy-Efficient Data Centers in Europe

By Ioana Neamt, Associate Editor

Apple has recently revealed plans to invest nearly $2 billion in two data centers in Europe. Located in Athenry, Ireland and Viborg, Denmark, the data centers will function on 100 percent renewable energy and will power services such as the iTunes Store, App Store, Maps and Siri for Apple’s European customers.

Apple’s two new data centers are scheduled to come online in 2017, and will have the lowest environmental impact yet for an Apple data center, according to the company. Each facility will measure roughly 1.8 million square feet, and will include additional benefits for their respective communities. The facility in Athenry will include outdoor education space for local schools, walking trails and the replanting of native trees in the Derrydonnell Forest. The Viborg data center will be located next to one of Denmark’s largest electrical stations, and will provide heat to homes in the neighboring community.

“This significant new investment represents Apple’s biggest project in Europe to date,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook. “We’re thrilled to be expanding our operations, creating hundreds of local jobs and introducing some of our most advanced green building designs yet.”

Apple currently employs 18,300 people across 19 European countries, and has added more than 2,000 new jobs in the past year alone. The company is also expanding its business in China, and has recently opened the largest Apple Store in Asia.

Other tech giants such as Google and Facebook have brought their business to Ireland due to the country’s favorable tax policies, TechCrunch reports. Apple is currently being probed by the European Commission regarding an alleged deal with the Irish government that allows the tech company to avoid taxation, according to TechCrunch.

Rendering courtesy of Apple, Inc. via The Verge