JULY 8, 2026 / STURGEON COUNTY, AB – Meta Platforms Inc. announced plans today for a new data centre in Sturgeon County representing more than $13 billion in private-sector investment, marking Meta’s first such facility in Canada and one of the largest investments ever for Alberta’s Industrial Heartland.
The Sturgeon Data Centre is expected to create approximately 3,000 jobs during peak construction and more than 300 permanent operational positions once complete, while generating significant economic activity for businesses and suppliers throughout the region.
The facility will be located within Sturgeon County’s portion of Alberta’s Industrial Heartland, leveraging the region’s industrial infrastructure, development-ready land, and access to reliable energy. The investment further expands the Industrial Heartland’s growing portfolio of large-scale industrial projects and reinforces the region’s competitiveness as a destination for capital-intensive development.
Meta will fund all infrastructure and utility requirements necessary to support the project, including water, wastewater, power, and site servicing. The facility will also utilize a closed-loop, liquid-cooled system with dry cooling technology, meaning no operational water will be required for cooling. Water use will be limited to domestic purposes, fire protection, and equipment maintenance.
In addition, the data centre will be powered by the Greenlight Electricity Centre, a $4.6-billion, 932 MW natural gas-fired power generation facility announced last week by Pembina Pipeline Corporation, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners and Kineticor. Through that partnership, Alberta ratepayers are also expected to see electricity transmission costs reduced by up to six per cent.
The investment reflects the growing demand for digital infrastructure across North America and highlights Alberta’s Industrial Heartland as an increasingly attractive location for data centres requiring reliable energy, industrial-scale infrastructure, and room for future growth.
The developer has also committed to advancing sustainability initiatives, including working toward water-positive operations by 2030, matching electricity consumption with clean or renewable energy sources, and publicly reporting water and energy use once the facility is operational.
Learn more from Meta about the Sturgeon Data Centre.
Read the Province of Alberta’s full announcement here.
About Alberta’s Industrial Heartland
Alberta’s Industrial Heartland is Canada’s largest hydrocarbon processing region and most advanced carbon sequestration hub. With $50 billion in existing capital investment and more than 40 companies, AIH provides fuels, fertilizers, power, petrochemicals, hydrogen, and more to consumers around the world. Explore the people, partnerships, and potential behind Alberta’s Industrial Heartland.