Campaigners call for Amsterdam to pull plug on giant data centre

Over 500 people have rallied against plans for a massive data center in Amsterdam-Zuid, contending it offers "zero benefits to the area." Dutch authorities have tightened regulations on data center size due to concerns over strain on the electricity grid. Data centers consumed 4.6% of the Netherlands' electricity in 2024. However, the US firm Equinix submitted plans for a 24,000 m2 facility on Amsterdam's Science Park before the 2022 ban, which only applies to new developments.

Local residents have become increasingly vocal in opposing data center construction, while campaign groups Geef Tegengas and Extinction Rebellion staged protests against a Microsoft project in Amsterdam Sloterdijk. Dylan Bakker of Stop Datacenter Zuidoost stated, "There are already enough data centers to keep everything running. This is becoming overkill."

Amsterdam city council aims to build 8,000 homes in Zuidoost to alleviate the national housing shortage, but has placed additional conditions on the site, such as utilizing residual heat for domestic heating. Concerns have also been raised about the strain on water supplies, exacerbated by the summer drought.

Equinix's planning application stipulated that the facility would require 274 million liters of water annually for the initial stage, rising to over a billion liters by 2036. The municipality stated it would face legal action and penalties if it revoked the permit to build the data center at this stage. Equinix initially planned to construct one of four 60-meter data towers until the electricity grid operator Tennet could supply sufficient power.

Tennet had earlier warned that the network was nearing capacity, resulting in a six-month moratorium on new connections in Utrecht.

The complete campus in Zuidoost will consume 779 kWh of electricity annually, nearly as much as all of Amsterdam's households, which currently use 869 kWh. Equinix Benelux director Michiel Eielts argued that data centers are an essential part of modern infrastructure. He said, "Every house needs the internet. We need data centers for the growth of our companies, our public services, and our security."