US banking giant Citi is spending EUR170 million to build one of the "greenest" data centres in the world in Frankfurt.
The data centre - due to be completed in March 2008 - will be the bank's largest outside the US.
The facility will provide IT services for Citi's Emea operations and employ 40 staff, including 20 new hires.
Citi says the new centre will save 25% on electricity consumption compared to existing data facilities, cutting 16,000 megawatt hours a year - enough to power 3000 family homes.
Citi claims that up to 11,000 tons less of carbon dioxide will escape into the atmosphere than from a convential data centre of the same size. Meanwhile savvy water management, including natural drainage of almost 90% of the rainwater, will save up to 46.5 million liters in water usage every year.
Sue Harnett, Citi's German head, says: "This data centre shows, that we take seriously our commitment for the environment. We were able to create a green facility within the same capital cost as that of a conventional data centre. In addition the lower operating cost over the life cycle of the building is significant."
Citi says the centre is part of its $50 billion climate change programme. The bank aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 10% at 14,500 facilities worldwide by 2011.