Reports: Apple To Invest $2 Billion To Covert The Failed Sapphire Plant To Data Center In Arizona

Apple is planning to invest $2 billion to convert a failed sapphire glass plant in Arizona into a data center, according to a report by Reuters.

Apple teamed up with GT Advanced Technologies Inc, to set up the plant in Mesa in 2013 to manufacture scratch-resistant sapphire screens for Apple devices but GT Advanced filed for filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October and closed the plant.

"This multibillion-dollar project is one of the largest investments we've ever made," Apple spokeswoman Rachel Wolf said in a statement on Monday, according to Reuters.

The $2 billion investment will stretch over 10 years with a 30 year-commitment from Apple to keep the facility running, Daniel Scarpinato, a spokesman for Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, said by email, Reuters added.

Reportedly, the new data center will also be a command center for managing Apple's other data centers and networks that handles traffic from services like iTunes and Siri.

Apple underscored that the data center will powered mostly by solar energy. It is also expected to create 600 engineering and construction jobs at the data center.

"We're proud to continue investing in the U.S. with a new data center in Arizona, which will serve as a command center for our global networks. This multi-billion dollar project is one of the largest investments we've ever made, and when completed it will add over 600 engineering and construction jobs to the more than one million jobs Apple has already created in the U.S. Like all Apple data centers, it will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy, much of which will come from a new local solar farm," Apple said in a statement to TechCrunch.