Facebook has announced the opening of its Fort Worth, Texas data centre, which the social media giant describes as a cornerstone for its global infrastructure.
The new one billion dollar data centre campus, is powered by 100 percent clean and renewable energy with the inclusion of over 200MW of wind power that was developed with Citigroup Energy, Alterra Power Corporation and Starwood Energy Group.
Delivery of the 200MW of energy began in December 2015, which according to KC Timmons, Site Manager of the site, is more than the data centre will need for a number of years.
In an online post, Timmons said: “Since July 2015, we’ve had an average of 750 workers on site every day, who have put in more than 2.7 million hours into the construction of the data centre.
“We couldn’t be more impressed with the fast pace of the teams working on this project, and we’re thrilled the same teams are already hard at work constructing our second and third buildings- and eventually fourth and fifth.”
Read more: The power of Facebook: What the data centre world can learn from Open Compute
“This is one of the most advanced and energy-efficient data centres on the planet, and it features our Open Compute Project hardware designs that result in world-class levels of energy efficiency. Also, it’s cooled using outdoor air and direct evaporative cooling systems that emphasise both water and energy efficiency,” said Timmons.
Facebook is working towards expanding its global data centre footprint and despite just opening its Forth Worth site, the company are already planning the second phase of the campus that will include 25,406 sq.ft office space, a conferencing centre and break room and more, according to Dallas Business Journal.
