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Work begins on $800m Facebook data centre in Illinois

Facebook has begun work on its 12th data centre in the US, an 84,300 sq m facility in DeKalb County, Illinois that the company describes as one of the "most advanced, energy and water-efficient in the world".

The development will run on renewable energy, use 80% less water than average server farms and aims to be rated as LEED Gold when completed.

Minneapolis’ Mortenson Construction is the project’s general contractor, with the City of DeKalb, Kishwaukee Water Reclamation, and Krusinski Construction working on supporting infrastructure, such as water lines, sewer extensions and the repaving of local roads.

Jerry Smith, DeKalb’s mayor, said: "It’s a boon to our community, and once online, this data centre will be part of a network that connects people all over the world.

"We hope that the ripple effect of Facebook’s decision will be a catalyst for more companies to see all that DeKalb and this region have to offer."

Some 100 jobs will be created once the project is operational, although 1,200 will be working on the construction.

Image courtesy of Facebook

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