American internet giant Google is to invest 150 million euros (170 million U.S. dollars) in a new data center in west Dublin, according to Ireland's state broadcaster RTE on Saturday.

The U.S. firm's new two-storey facility will be situated alongside its existing data center in west Dublin, which was opened three years ago, RTE said.

The internet giant has also bought an adjacent 31-acre site, so that it can expand its facilities further in the future, it said.

RTE quoted the firm as saying that the new center would help power the full range of Google services, including Gmail, Maps and YouTube.

Ireland's naturally cool climate is a draw for data center operators, because it saves them money on energy costs, RTE said.

It added that Google's new data center is the latest example of a tech company taking advantage of this, following announcements by Apple and Facebook earlier this year.