Google has announced it is investing $1 billion into a new data centre in the UK to match demand for the nation’s data needs.

Based in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire in England, the 33-acre site will create construction and technical jobs for the local community.

Once complete, Google says that this investment will bring crucial compute capacity to businesses across the UK, supporting AI innovation and helping to ensure reliable digital services to Google Could customers and Google users in the UK and abroad.

As more and more Brits rely on data centres to power their services, and as AI continues to be adopted across different industries, technical infrastructure has become vital to ensure continued growth.

According to a survey from Linklaters, data centre-related deals have consistently grown over the last few years, with a compounded annual growth of 32% from 2017 to 2022. And the same survey found that 2023 matched this growth, with 2024 likely to keep momentum as AI requires more and more data power.

“It’s a huge vote of confidence in the UK as the largest tech economy in Europe, bringing with it good jobs and the infrastructure needed to support British businesses,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a post on X.

The £790m investment in the Waltham Cross data centre is just Google’s latest foray into UK – “a key country for our business and a pioneering world leader in AI, technology, and science,” Debbie Weinstein Vice President of Google and Managing Director of Google UK & Ireland, said.

It builds on Google’s $1bn purchase of its Central Saint Giles office in 2022, a 1 million square foot development in King’s Cross, and the launch of its Accessibility Discovery Centre.

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Google also claims the data centre is part of their green initiatives, saying they will explore how to use waste heat, and ensure the facility has provisions for off-site heat recovery.

“This new data centre will help meet growing demand for our AI and cloud services and bring crucial compute capacity to businesses across the UK while creating construction and technical jobs for the local community,” Ruth Porat, president & chief investment officer, chief financial officer of Alphabet and Google said in a statement.

“Together with the UK government, we are working to make AI more helpful and accessible for people and organisations across the country.”