Google invests 1b euros in German data centres

[BERLIN] Online search giant Google said on Tuesday it would invest 1 billion euros in Germany through 2030 to expand its data centre operations and secure renewable power supplies to run them.

The Alphabet unit will spend the money to expand its data centre in Frankfurt and set up a new regional cloud computing operation centred on the capital Berlin, as well as source power from wind and solar operator Engie.

"This will bring us a step closer to using CO2-free sources of energy exclusively in our datacenters," Philipp Justus, who heads Google in central and eastern Europe, told Reuters in an interview.

Europe's strict privacy laws have increased demand from companies to host data locally. At the same time the Berlin startup scene is booming and electric carmaker Tesla will soon launch production at a new factory nearby.

Google's investment follows a similar-sized bet on Germany by Silicon Valley rival Apple, which is setting up a semiconductor design bureau in Munich.

REUTERS