Meta reportedly in talks to build an AI data centre near Edmonton
Silicon Valley tech giant Meta may soon have a presence near Edmonton, with Alberta-based Pembina Pipeline reportedly nearing a deal to build a massive AI data centre northeast of the city.
According to a report from The Logic, which cited three unnamed sources familiar with the project, if built, the facility would be located in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland, near Fort Saskatchewan.
Pembina would partner with Calgary-based Kineticor, a power generation company, with Calgary data centre firm Beacon AI also involved. Although the deal hasn’t been finalized, regulatory news is reportedly coming soon. Daily Hive has reached out to Pembina Pipeline for confirmation.
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The Industrial Heartland was picked for its proximity to oil refineries, petrochemical plants, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. Alberta has also been promoting its natural gas network as a reliable near-term energy source for the power-hungry operations that AI demands.
AI data centres eat up enormous amounts of electricity. Some companies, such as Microsoft, are exploring nuclear power, but natural gas is considered a more practical short-term option, given the limited nuclear supply and lengthy timelines for building new facilities.
Earlier this year, Pembina and Kineticor announced the Greenlight Electricity Centre, a 1,800-megawatt natural gas plant with CCS that could “accommodate a co-located data centre,” but it’s not clear if Meta’s project is connected to that facility.
Between Meta eyeing a site near Edmonton and Kevin O’Leary hoping to build a massive AI data tech park up north, Alberta is shaping up to be quite the tech hotbed!