Meta halts construction of two data centres in Denmark
15/12/2022 13:59
COPENHAGEN, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms Inc
META.O has halted construction of two data centres in Odense,
Denmark, and will instead focus on a new type of data centre
used for artificial intelligence (AI), a spokesperson said on
Thursday.
Facebook-owner Meta already has two large data centres in
Odense, but only one of the three other centres currently under
development there will be completed.
"Over the past month, we have announced a number of measures
to make us a more streamlined organisation," Meta spokesperson
Peter Münster told Reuters.
"A significant part of these measures is to shift a larger
part of our resources to high-priority growth areas, including a
strategic investment in artificial intelligence," he said.
Last month, Meta said it would cut 11,000 jobs, the first in
the company's 18-year history, after disappointing results in
several quarters.
The company's traditional data centres house servers for
apps such as Facebook and Instagram. But the calculations needed
for AI require a new generation of data centres, Münster said.
Construction on the two halted data centres in Odense began
in August. However, on Tuesday Meta terminated the deal with
contracting company Per Aarsleff PAALb.CO worth 2.4 billion
Danish crowns ($344 million).
($1 = 6.9828 Danish crowns)
(Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen
Editing by Mark Potter)