Apple invests $1.9 billion in data hubs in Denmark and Ireland

HELSINKI (AP) — Apple says it's investing 1.7 billion euros ($1.92 billion) in data centers in Denmark and Ireland that will be powered by renewable energy, its largest such project in Europe to date.

The hubs will power Apple Inc.'s online services, including iTunes Store, App Store, iMessage, Maps and Siri voice services.

Apple said today that last year it spent more than 7.8 billion euros on European companies and suppliers, supporting some 670,000 jobs in the region. Apple's own employees number 18,300 people in 19 European countries.

Apple said the data centers, scheduled to begin operations in 2017, will have the lowest environmental impact of any of its data centers and will use renewable energy, including wind power.

They will be based in central Denmark's Jutland region and County Galway in Ireland.