Google continues its development in Hainaut
The American giant has announced the construction of its sixth data centre in Belgium, confirming that this country remains the epicentre of its European development.
After building several data centres on its Saint-Ghislain site, one of which is still under construction, Google has just acquired a new 53-hectare site elsewhere in Hainaut. The American giant will therefore continue its development on the Ecopôle site, which straddles the municipalities of Farciennes, Aiseau-Presles and Sambreville, by building a new data centre.
Google has already invested nearly three billion euros in Belgium for the construction of data centres, and a solar power plant, since its arrival in 2009. Its choice of new site was mainly dictated by the advantages offered by its location on the banks of the Sambre River. The presence of water is essential for cooling data centre installations, just as it is necessary to have a powerful electrical network. In this context, part of the Ecopôle site is also expected to be used for a solar panel field in the future. Moreover, this area can now be connected to a fibre optic network via Sofico, which is another undeniable benefit for the American company.
Hainaut thereby confirms its great potential for development in the digital sector.