At least 7 hyperscale data centers are under construction in the Netherlands. Permits for these data centers have already been granted, meaning a recent motion by the House of Representatives to halt large-scale construction comes too late. Four will be located in Haarlemmermeer, near Schiphol. Minister Boekholt-O’Sullivan of Housing and Spatial Planning must decide on four hyperscale data centers that have not yet been permitted.
This has been confirmed by the Dutch Datacentra Association (DDA). The Netherlands will soon have at least ten hyperscale data centers; so far, three of this type have been used by Microsoft and Google. Seven new mega-sized data centers are currently under construction, and four are still in the planning phase. These data centers will cover up to 10 hectares and will have a power connection of up to 70 megawatts.
There is opposition to new data centers from the House of Representatives and the public. Among other things, the strain on the power grid is causing resistance.
Permits already granted for Amsterdam and Haarlemmermeer
As early as 2022, the Rutte IV Cabinet determined that hyperscale data centers could be no larger than 10 hectares and could only be built in Eemshaven, Groningen; around Schiphol; or in Hollands Kroon. However, permits for Amsterdam and Lelystad had already been granted earlier. Microsoft is leasing a new hyperscale data center in Amsterdam, with a permit that circumvents the 2022 construction restrictions. Four of the seven approved hyperscales will be located in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer, a region that already has more than thirty data centers. Residents are opposing the arrival of data centers being built right next to their homes.
Meanwhile, political and social opposition is growing. The province of Utrecht imposed a ban on new data centers in 2021. Municipalities such as Leiden, Breda, and Westland are working on similar measures. The question of whether four hyperscale data centers that have not yet been approved will actually be built now rests with D66 Minister Boekholt-O’Sullivan.
Data companies are surprised by the resistance. Stijn Grove, chairman of the DDA, states: “The centers that politicians are now so strongly opposed to are more efficient, more energy-efficient, and take up less space than the many small data centers we would otherwise need.”