More than 500 people have joined a campaign calling on Amsterdam to stop the construction of a huge new data centre, arguing that the facility will bring zero benefits to the local area.
The planned 24,000-square-metre facility on the city’s Science Park is being developed by US company Equinix.
Although the Dutch government introduced restrictions on the size of data centres in 2022 to protect the electricity grid, the Equinix application was submitted before the rules took effect.
Strain on power and water
Data centres accounted for 4.6 percent of all electricity used in the Netherlands in 2024, raising persistent concerns about network congestion.
The full campus is projected to use 779 kWh of electricity each year, which is close to the 869 kWh consumed annually by all Amsterdam households combined.
Grid operator Tennet warned earlier this year that the electricity network was nearing full capacity, which previously triggered a six-month moratorium on new connections in Utrecht.
Cooling the site will also require significant water resources, starting at 274 million litres per year for the first stage and rising above one billion litres when fully completed in 2036.
City obligations and company plans
Amsterdam municipal officials say they cannot simply cancel the project, as revoking the building permit at this stage would lead to legal action and financial penalties.
The city council has instead imposed conditions on the site, including a requirement that residual heat from the data centre be captured and used to heat local housing.
Equinix has stated it will initially build only one of four planned 60-metre data towers until the electricity grid operator can provide enough power capacity.
Representatives for Equinix defend the development, arguing that data centres provide critical infrastructure required for household internet, public services, and economic growth.
