Apple has announced a €1.7 billion plan to build new data centres in Europe.
The new facilities, running on renewable energy, will power Apple’s online functions, including the iTunes Store, App Store and Siri.
They will launch in 2017 in County Galway, Ireland, and Denmark’s central Jutland.
The initiative is one of the first investments announced by Apple since its recent landmark financial results. Having reported the highest ever quarterly corporate profits, the technology giant now holds around £118bn in capital reserves.
Apple CEO Tim Cook commented: "We are grateful for Apple’s continued success in Europe and proud that our investment supports communities across the continent. 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."
"We believe that innovation is about leaving the world better than we found it, and that the time for tackling climate change is now," said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environmental Initiatives.
"We’re excited to spur green industry growth in Ireland and Denmark and develop energy systems that take advantage of their strong wind resources. Our commitment to environmental responsibility is good for the planet, good for our business and good for the European economy."
