Google's Data Centre in Farciennes: a one-billion-euro investment on the doorstep of Charleroi

A digital campus transforming the Ecopôle and the Walloon economy

A landmark project for the Charleroi region

It was back in 2019 that Google set its sights on the Ecopôle in Farciennes, acquiring a 52-hectare plot along the N90 road, straddling the municipalities of Farciennes, Aiseau-Presles and Sambreville. After several years of negotiations and studies, the American giant obtained its single planning permit in February 2024 for the construction of three data centres. The official groundbreaking ceremony took place on 5 April 2024, in the presence of Mayor Hugues Bayet and Secretary of State Thomas Dermine — a historic day for the Charleroi region.

Google Data Centres — This second Belgian campus for Google (after Saint-Ghislain) represents an announced investment of one billion euros. The campus will comprise three buildings with a total floor area of 53,000 m²: a first centre of 8,000 m² in Farciennes, a second of 20,000 m² in Aiseau-Presles, and a third of 30,000 m² as an extension. The first building is scheduled to open in spring 2026.

Local Jobs & Google Job Days — The project is generating a significant employment dynamic across the entire Charleroi basin. The municipality of Farciennes, in partnership with the Forem (Walloon employment agency) and partner companies such as Veolia (maintenance), GXO (logistics) and Securitas (security), regularly organises information evenings open to all jobseekers in the area. Over 150 security and guarding positions, as well as dozens of logistics and handling roles, have already been identified.

Towards a third building? — Ambitions do not stop there: in October 2025, Mayor Hugues Bayet confirmed that advanced discussions were under way to extend the site with a third building in Farciennes, in addition to the second planned for Aiseau-Presles. Grid operator Elia has confirmed that a capacity of 200 to 300 MW will be available across the entire site.

A green campus by design — The planning permit is conditional on strict environmental commitments: installation of photovoltaic panels across some 200,000 m² of rooftop space, consumption of 90% carbon-free energy by 2025 and 95% by 2030, use of free cooling (air-based cooling with no water consumption), and transport of earthworks by waterway. Google is also invited to install shared bike and scooter stations at the Farciennes and Aiseau-Presles railway stations for its future employees.

Why this project matters for Charleroi and Wallonia

Why Farciennes? Google was looking for a large, flat site close to a high-voltage electricity node and a river in order to expand its operations in Wallonia. The Ecopôle site, developed by Igretec, met all of these criteria, with the added advantage of an ecological vocation already built into the business park's development model.

Cloud & Artificial Intelligence Google's investment in Farciennes responds to a rapidly growing demand for cloud capacity and data processing driven by the rise of artificial intelligence. Next-generation data centres host the infrastructure that powers Google Cloud, Google Search, YouTube and the generative AI services used around the world.

A catalyst for the regional ecosystem Google's arrival is part of a broader wave of economic transformation in the Charleroi basin, alongside other landmark projects such as Aerospacelab's Megafactory, the BioPark in Gosselies, and the Zebrarena stadium. Together, these projects are repositioning Charleroi as a major hub for innovation and investment in French-speaking Belgium.

Training and local employment A significant social dimension accompanies the project: priority hiring of local workers is written into the planning permit. The Forem organises training programmes for candidates without prior qualifications, technical English courses are offered to skilled candidates who do not yet speak the language, and Veolia, the partner responsible for site maintenance, recruits directly from the local area.