Key Takeaways
- Data centers are the nervous system of the internet, supporting digital activities like social media, cloud storage, and business operations.
- The world’s largest data centers provide enormous storage capacities to help with high data traffic and secure storage needs.
- Many of these centers are strategically located in cooler regions or close to renewable energy sources, reducing energy costs and promoting environmental sustainability.
- The demand for larger, more energy-efficient data centers continues to grow as the industry expands to meet global data needs.
Data has become the backbone of our connected world, driving everything from social media and cloud storage to business operations and online entertainment. But behind every email sent, photo shared, or document stored, there’s a physical place responsible for housing and managing this data.
Data centers are massive complexes filled with thousands of servers that make our data-driven world possible. Consequently, these facilities are essential for supporting some of the biggest tech companies like Google, Alibaba, and Amazon, and they’re only getting larger to meet the growing global demand. The United States leads as the country with the most data centers.
In this article, we’ll get familiar with the physical structures that keep our internet running, as we detail the world’s largest data centers.
12 Largest Data Centers in the World
| Company/Name | Location | Power | Area | Data capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China Telecom-Inner Mongolia Information Park | Hohhot, China | 150 MW | 994,062 square metres | Unknown |
| The Citadel – Switch | Tahoe Reno, Nevada, USA | 650 MW | 668, 901 square metres | Unknown |
| Yotta NM1 | Panvel, India | 50 MW | 76, 180 square metres | 30,000 racks |
| Utah Data Center | Utah, USA | 65 MW | 130, 064 square metres | 4.5 Exabytes |
| Lakeside Technology Center | Chicago, Illinois, USA | 100 MW | 102,193 square metres | Unknown |
| QTS Metro Data Center | Ashburn, Virginia, USA | 250 MW | 120,773 square metres | Unknown |
| Google Cloud Platform Loudoun County Hyperscale Zone | Virginia, USA | Unknown | 18, 580 square meters | Unknown |
| Alibaba Cloud Zhangbei Data Center | Zhangbei County, China | 150 MW | 667,972 square metres | 52 buildings with 50,000 data racks each |
| Harbin Data Center | Heilongjiang Province, China | 200 MW | 659,611 square metres | Unknown |
| Kolos Data Center | Ballangen, Norway | up to 1000 MW | 603,869 square metres | Unknown |
| Range International Information Group | Langfang, China | 150 MW | 585,289 square meters | Unknown |
| Apple Inc.’s Mesa Data Center | Mesa, Arizona | 50 MW | 120,774 square meters | Unknown |
1. China Telecom-Inner Mongolia Information Park (Hohhot, China)
- Location: Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
- Power Capacity: 150 MW
- Area: 994,062 square meters (10.6 million square feet)
- CEO: Shao Guanglu
- Cost: $3 billion
China Telecom’s data center in Inner Mongolia is one of the biggest data facilities in Asia, built to meet the demands of China’s rapidly expanding internet population. Moreover, the cold climate of Inner Mongolia helps with natural cooling, cutting down on energy costs. The center serves a wide range of clients, including national telecom services. It’s key in managing China’s vast data needs.
2. The Citadel – Switch (Tahoe Reno, Nevada, USA)
- Location: Tahoe Reno, Nevada, USA
- Power Capacity: 650 MW
- Area: 668,901 square meters (7.2 million square feet)
- CEO: Jim Oehlerking
- Cost: $1.5 billion
Switch’s Citadel campus in Nevada stands as one of the largest data centers globally. In addition, it’s powered entirely by renewable energy, representing a high-tech approach to sustainable data storage. Furthermore, The Citadel houses countless servers and supports everything from cloud services to enterprise data needs. It’s designed to provide unmatched connectivity and security, meeting the needs of industries ranging from finance to technology.
3. Yotta NM1 (Panvel, India)
- Location: Panvel, India
- Power Capacity: 50 MW
- Area: 76,180 square meters (820,000 square feet)
- CEO: Sunil Gupta
- Cost: over $1.1 billion
Yotta NM1 is a rising star in the data center world. Located in Panvel, India, the facility provides a wide range of services including cloud storage, IT support, and data processing. At the same time, it was built to withstand natural disasters and boasts a sophisticated power and cooling setup. Yotta NM1 is part of India’s larger push to establish itself as a data hub.
4. Utah Data Center (Utah, USA)
- Location: Bluffdale, Utah, USA
- Power Capacity: 65 MW
- Area: 130,064 square meters (1.4 million square feet)
- Led by the National Security Agency
- Cost: $1.5 billion
The Utah Data Center, operated by the United States National Security Agency (NSA), is dedicated to data storage and cybersecurity for national intelligence. As a result, this government facility is one of the most secure data centers in the world, built with a focus on storing vast amounts of information securely. It’s designed to manage and process large datasets, supporting national security initiatives.
5. Lakeside Technology Center (Chicago, Illinois, USA)
- Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Power Capacity: 100 MW
- Area: 102,193 square meters (1.1 million square feet)
- CEO: David Keil
- Cost: around $2 billion
Located in downtown Chicago, the Lakeside Technology Center is one of the largest in North America and is managed by Digital Realty. Known for its high-speed connectivity and use of Lake Michigan for cooling, this facility serves numerous financial institutions, healthcare providers, and tech firms. Last but not least, its location in Chicago’s financial district makes it a prime spot for low-latency services, essential for industries that rely on high-speed data processing.
6. QTS Metro Data Center (Ashburn, Virginia, USA)
- Location: Ashburn, Virginia, USA
- Power Capacity: 250 MW
- Area: 120,773 square meters (1.3 million square feet)
- CEO: Chad Williams
- Cost: Unknown
QTS Metro Data Center in Ashburn is strategically positioned in “Data Center Alley” where more than 70% of the world’s internet traffic passes through. Known for its advanced security protocols as well as its energy-efficient design, QTS is crucial for government agencies, tech firms, and telecom providers. In addition, its proximity to the nation’s capital allows for secure connectivity and high standards for data privacy.
7. Google Cloud Platform Loudoun County Hyperscale Zone (Virginia, USA)
- Location: Loudoun County, Virginia, USA
- Power Capacity: Unclear
- Area: 18, 580 square meters (200,000 square feet)
- CEO: Thomas Kurian
- Cost: around $4.2 billion
Google’s data center in Loudoun County is part of its global cloud infrastructure supporting Google services and third-party clients. Consequently, this “hyperscale” zone provides high-speed connectivity and efficient data processing to meet the needs of Google Cloud customers. The facility uses renewable energy and advanced cooling techniques to improve sustainability, a key focus for Google’s operations worldwide.
8. Alibaba Cloud Zhangbei Data Center (Zhangbei County, China)
- Location: Zhangbei County, China
- Power Capacity: 150 MW
- Area: 667,972 square meters (around 7.19 million square feet)
- CEO: Eddie Wu
- Cost: over $2.9 billion
Alibaba’s Zhangbei data center not only supports the company’s cloud computing operations and e-commerce services but also plays a vital role in handling vast data volumes from millions of users. Furthermore, this center leverages the cooler climate of northern China to reduce energy demands for cooling. The data center holds importance to Alibaba’s mission to expand its digital presence across Asia and the globe.
9. Harbin Data Center (Heilongjiang Province, China)
- Location: Heilongjiang Province, China
- Power Capacity: 200 MW
- Area: 659,611 square meters (7.1 million square feet)
- CEO: Zhang Yingjian
- Cost: Unknown
The Harbin Data Center, one of China’s largest, focuses on providing data storage for a variety of public and private sectors. Located in Heilongjiang’s chilly climate, it requires less artificial cooling, thus reducing energy costs. Lastly, this center supports services like e-commerce, cloud computing, and government projects, emphasizing China’s push to manage data domestically.
10. Kolos Data Center (Ballangen, Norway)
- Location: Ballangen, Norway
- Power Capacity: up to 1000 MW
- Area: 603,869 square meters (6.5 million square feet)
- CEO: Håvard Lillebo
- Cost: $10 million
The Kolos Data Center in Norway aims to set a new standard for sustainable data storage. Located near the Arctic Circle, Kolos initially raised $2.5 million in 2017 before getting acquired by Hive blockchain in 2018 for $9.9 million. It was later sold to the local Norwegian municipality of Narvik at a substantial loss. In addition, Kolos uses Norway’s abundant renewable energy resources to power its facility, making it one of the world’s greenest data centers.
11. Range International Information Group (Langfang, China)
- Location: Langfang, Hebei Province, China (near Beijing)
- Power Capacity: Estimated at 150 megawatts
- Area: 585,289 square meters (approximately 6.3 million square feet)
- CEO: Collaboration includes local leadership and partnership with IBM (CEO: Arvind Krishna for IBM)
- Cost: Estimated at $3 billion
The Range International Information Group Data Center, spanning an impressive 6.3 million square feet, is situated in Langfang, China, strategically located south of Beijing. This facility plays a crucial role in China’s rapidly expanding technological landscape. Its advanced infrastructure supports both government agencies and private enterprises, reflecting a strong partnership with global IT leader IBM. Positioned near major cities like Beijing and Tianjin, the data center benefits from high-speed fiber-optic networks, ensuring superior connectivity and accessibility. Its partnership with IBM strengthens Langfang’s position as a critical IT hub and drives innovation and digital transformation across the region.
12. Apple Inc.’s Data Center (Mesa, Arizona)
- Location: Mesa, Arizona, USA
- Power Capacity: 50 megawatts, fully powered by renewable energy sources
- Area: 120,774 square meters (approximately 1.3 million square feet)
- CEO: Tim Cook
- Cost: Estimated at $2 billion
Apple’s Data Center in Mesa, Arizona occupies a vast space in the heart of the Southwest. Initially, this facility was built as a manufacturing plant before Apple transformed it into a state-of-the-art data center. The Mesa facility is instrumental in supporting Apple’s cloud services, such as iCloud, Siri, and Apple Music, ensuring seamless operations for millions of users globally. Located close to Phoenix, the data center benefits from its proximity to major infrastructure, allowing for robust connectivity and efficient resource management. The data center is powered entirely by renewable energy sources, including solar farms in the Arizona desert.
What Is an AI Data Center?
An AI data center is a specialized facility designed to support artificial intelligence workloads, such as machine learning, deep learning, and advanced data analytics. Unlike regular data centers that primarily store, process, and manage general-purpose data, AI data centers focus on high-performance computing, leveraging advanced GPUs, specialized hardware, and vast amounts of data to train AI models.
Most recently, Donald Trump announced a massive $500 billion investment in AI data centers over the next 4 years, signaling a commitment to advancing the U.S.’s technological capabilities and staying competitive in the global AI race.
Closing Thoughts
Data centers are the backbone of our digital infrastructure, and these massive structures are set to get bigger – and become more vulnerable to threats – as the world relies more on the internet. Not only do these huge data hubs support some of the biggest names in tech, and store your most sensitive information, they also demonstrate remarkable innovation in terms of energy efficiency, security, and environmental responsibility. In short, data centers sit at the cutting edge of digital development – and it’s worth knowing a bit more about them as you browse the web.
