Denmark, the land of fresh air, beautiful scenery and captivating history, is set to be the new home of Facebook’s second Nordic-based data centre.
The California-based social media giant announced last week that it was planning to build the 184,000 square meter facility in Odense, the birthplace of writer Hans Christian Andersen, to store and manage its growing pool of data.
So, why Denmark?
Denmark is known for its clean energy. In fact, it’s a world leader in Cleantech and low carbon related industries. By 2020 the country should be producing half of its electricity from renewable sources. Since Mark Zuckerberg is lobbying to enhance connectivity with the smallest carbon footprint possible, this energy efficiency is likely to have been a big factor in Facebook’s decision to open a data centre there.
Facebook’s public move into these cleaner energy countries is promising, especially to environmentalists like ourselves. In early 2013 we switched our electricity supply to use only 100% renewable energy sources, meaning that all LDeX and client equipment within our data centre facilities are powered by green energy. We also provide carbon neutral colocation solutions to clients that help them to reach environmental impact targets.
Further to their miles of wind-farms, Denmark also has one of Europe’s best performing economies, making it even more appealing to global businesses like Facebook.
Whatever the reasons behind the move, European countries should be encouraged by Silicon Valley titans looking overseas to fulfil their technology requirements. After all, a move such as this one creates a wealth of jobs and attracts investment from far and wide.
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