A ceremony marking the construction of Apple Inc data center is held at Qahar industrial park in Ulaanqab, a city of North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region on March 15. [Photo/nmgnews.com]

A ceremony marking the start of construction for a new Apple Inc data center was held at the Qahar industrial park in Ulaanqab, the city in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on March 15.

Officials said this is Apple's first data center in northern China, and the construction of the project will completely utilize renewable materials and energy.

The US technology giant has registered a company in Ulaanqab, officials added, and the project is scheduled to be completed and launched in 2020, providing iCloud services tor Chinese Apple users.

As a big data industry base cultivated by the region, Ulaanqab has grasped development opportunities and utilized big data and cloud computing industries as the engine to promote high-quality economic development