Apple stumps up €1.7bn for twin European data centres
Apple is to divert some of its mountainous cash pile to European shores after announcing its biggest ever investment in the continent, splashing out €1.7bn to build two new data centres in Ireland and Denmark.
Designed to provide carbon neutral processing grunt for its iTunes service and App Store, by harnessing wind power, the centres will stretch to 2m sq/ft each and open their doors by 2017.
Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, said: “This significant new investment represents Apple’s biggest project in Europe to date. We’re thrilled to be expanding our operations, creating hundreds of local jobs and introducing some of our most advanced green building designs yet."
The investment comes as Apple reveals figures suggesting that it directly supports 672,000 jobs in Europe through expenditure of some €7.8bn on the procurement of components for its popular phones and tablets.