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Google Pledges €5 Billion to Expand Belgian Data Center for AI and Cloud Capacity

A U.S. judge is weighing remedies that could curb how Google bundles its Gemini AI with apps like Maps or YouTube.

Overview

  • The 2026–2027 investment will expand Google’s St. Ghislain campus and tie the site more deeply into its 42 cloud regions to serve high‑performance, low‑latency AI and core services.
  • Google says the Belgian expansion will create about 300 new full‑time jobs, building on roughly 600 current data‑centre roles and nearly 150 local supplier relationships.
  • Energy agreements with Eneco, Luminus, and Renner secure more than 110 MW of carbon‑free electricity, complemented by battery demand‑response work with Centrica Energy and grid operator Elia.
  • With the new commitment, Google says its total investment in Belgium will surpass €11 billion since first building at St. Ghislain in 2007.
  • In an Oct. 8 hearing, Google argued against a U.S. Justice Department proposal to restrict bundling Gemini with YouTube or Maps, and Judge Amit Mehta set no date for a final remedy.