Google is to buy renewable electricity to power its data centre in the Netherlands.

The internet search engine giant has signed a 10-year contract to buy the entire output from a 62MW wind farm being built by Eneco Holding NV.

It will provide electricity for a €600 million (£480m) data centre Google is developing in Eemshaven which is expected to start operating in the first half of 2016.

Francois Sterin, Director Global Infrastructure at Google said: “Power purchase agreements help give wind farm developers like Eneco the economic certainty to invest in new renewable energy generation capacity, which is good for the environment – but also makes great financial sense for companies like Google.”

Google uses renewable energy to power more than 35% of its operation.