OSLO, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- A company in Norway plans to build biggest data center in the world in the size of 84 football fields in the country's northern municipality of Ballangen, public broadcaster NRK reported Wednesday.
The data center project, made by the company Kolos Norway, is reported to extend over 600,000 square meters and is planned to be able to produce computer power that draws up to 1,000 megawatts of power.
The municipality of Ballangen, which is located inside the Arctic Circle and characterized by high unemployment rate, shall be provided with more working places, the report said.
According to Havard Lillebo, director of Kolos Norway, the company has used several months on tender for the best idea concept and has chosen the one made by American company HDR Inc.
HDR Inc. stated in a press release that they had tried to build the community and nature into the architecture.
Per Kristian Arntzen, mayor of Ballangen municipality, is well acquainted with the data center plans.
"We put on an area of 600 decares that are already regulated for industrial purposes in connection with a landfill site. In addition, we have good access to power through the power plant at Skjomen. We also have fiber that goes through Sweden and further abroad," he said.
Kolos Norway has landed contracts with the American investment bank Headwaters MB for further development of the data center, according to NRK.
"Kolos develops the most innovative, cost-effective and environmentally friendly data center in the world. We are looking forward to being a partner with a company pioneering in the industry and believing in long-term growth," Paul Janson, head of investment banking company Headwaters MB, was quoted as saying.
Lillebo expressed belief that the plant will initially be able to create a hundred jobs locally, but far more in addition once the plant starts running for full operation. He is hoping that the construction will start in 2018.
