Facebook To Install Giant Server Farm Near Arctic Circle

When you have a giant server farm that handles tons of traffic like the ones Facebook operates, the cost of keeping all that hardware cool is massive. Facebook has plans to build its latest massive server farm a mere 62 miles south of the Arctic Circle. The giant server farm will reportedly be installed in a facility located in Lulea in northern Sweden.

The reason the chilly location was chosen is one of cooling and money. The cold climate will allow Facebook to chill its servers using nothing but forced air. The average temperature in the city is 35.6F and hasn't gone over 86F for more than 24 hours since 1961. The Facebook server farm will be gigantic.

Telegraph.co.uk reports that the massive facility will be built in three buildings covering an entire area the size of 11 football fields. I would assume that since Telegraph is a UK site, they mean soccer fields as far as Americans are concerned. The cold air in the city will help keep costs down, but the costs of running the facility for power alone will be gigantic. The cost for power alone is estimated to be £45M yearly. You have to love the resolve of the person in the photo driving the Mustang in ice and snow.

[via Telegraph]