Google to invest EUR 1 billion in Germany’s digital transformation

It will expand its existing cloud region in Frankfurt and set up a second one in Berlin-Brandenburg

On 31 August, Google announced that it has signed an agreement with the large European utility ENGIE. As part of this agreement, the tech giant will be investing approximately EUR 1 billion in Germany’s future, digital infrastructure, and clean energy over the next several years until 2030. This will reportedly be one of Google’s largest and most important investment programmes in Germany.

Taking this further, Google also revealed that it has signed an agreement to purchase green energy with the aim of ensuring that its German campuses will operate at nearly 80% carbon-free energy on an hourly basis from 2022. According to a news release by the company, this goal is in line with Google’s commitment to have all of its campuses operating on carbon-free energy by 2030.

New and improved facilities

With its ambitious investment programme, Google seeks to expand its existing cloud region Frankfurt. That is, it will open a brand-new facility in Hanau to meet the ever-growing demand from the country’s businesses and organisations. Mayor of Hanau Claus Kaminsky commented on this development, noting:

“With Google, we have a strong partner at our side who supports us in setting up Hanau’s economic future digitally and sustainably. The data centre building of Google Cloud embodies this change: We bring the cloud to us in Hanau and thus support the digital transformation of companies and authorities.

Not only in our city and Hesse, but throughout Germany and Europe. The new building meets high sustainability standards and the clean energy initiative presented by Google today corresponds to our claim to sustainable digitisation.”

In addition to the expansion of the Frankfurt cloud region, Google will also set up a second cloud region in Germany. This will be located in Berlin-Brandenburg and it will provide customers with faster access to secure infrastructure, smart analytics, etc.

This investment programme will massively contribute to shaping Germany’s future and digitisation.