Google has announced a €1 billion investment in a new data center to be built in Farciennes, near Charleroi. This initial investment will cover the construction of the first building on the site, with plans for two more buildings in the future based on demand. Frédéric Descamps, Data Centre Manager for Google Belgium, explained that the construction timeline will align with anticipated demand.

Additionally, Google plans to upgrade its existing site in Saint-Ghislain, near Mons, by extending the current data center and expanding its solar park. The budget for these upgrades has not been disclosed.

With this €1 billion commitment, Google’s total investment in Belgian infrastructure—including data centers and related construction—since 2007 will reach €5 billion. The new data centers will enhance Google’s capacity to meet the increasing demand for AI and cloud services.

As part of its sustainability efforts, Google will supplement the Saint-Ghislain site with a 1.4MW photovoltaic park to advance its decarbonization goals. The company aims to achieve net-zero emissions across its operations and supply chain by 2030.

At the Farciennes site, the residual heat from the data center will be channeled into a heat network to benefit numerous local buildings.