Construction of mega data centers continues despite opposition

The construction of at least seven mega-sized data centers in the Netherlands is moving forward, despite growing political opposition. This was reported by the Dutch Datacentra Association (DDA) at Nieuwsuur. The House of Representatives recently passed a motion to curb the growth of such centers, but for these projects, that decision comes too late: the permits have largely already been granted. These are so-called hyperscales: enormous complexes spanning several hectares, with power consumption comparable to that of hundreds of thousands of households.

The debate flared up earlier this month when Pieter Grinwis (Christian Union) spoke out strongly in the House. He criticized the planned construction of a large Microsoft data center in Amsterdam. According to him, it is problematic that housing construction and sustainability efforts are being delayed due to grid congestion, while energy-intensive data centers are being given the green light.

The criticism focuses primarily on the impact on the power grid and land use. Data centers are already responsible for about 5 percent of national energy consumption. Grid operators expect this share to double in the coming years.

Seven planned centers

To limit this growth, the cabinet led by Mark Rutte introduced stricter rules in 2022. Since then, new hyperscale data centers may cover a maximum of 10 hectares and may only be built at specific locations, such as Eemshaven and the Schiphol region. However, according to then-Minister Mona Keijzer, permits had already been issued for several projects at that time. As a result, at least seven planned centers fall outside the scope of the new rules. Four of these are located in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, where residents are increasingly opposing further expansion.

Importance of data centers

Nevertheless, the sector emphasizes the importance of this infrastructure. According to DDA chairman Stijn Grove, data centers are essential for the digital economy. Not only tech companies, but also hospitals, universities, and government agencies need storage, he argues.

Moreover, larger data centers are actually more efficient. They use less energy per unit of data and ultimately take up less space than many smaller centers.