Small Dutch town Zeewolde backs massive Facebook data centre

Councillors in the Flevoland town of Zeewolde have voted in favour of plans to allow Facebook parent company Meta to build a massive data centre on farmland.

The council voted by 11 votes to eight to back the plan, with Labour and GroenLinks councillors in favour of Meta. GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver told talk show Op1 on Thursday evening the councillors’ move had been ‘extraordinarily stupid’.

The data centre, or hyperscale, is controversial for several reasons, not least of which that it is being build on agricultural ground. There is also concern about the massive amount of energy needed to power the centre – the equivalent of a small city of 460,000 people.

The vote – technically in favour of changing local zoning laws – does not mean the end of the matter. Part of the l65 hectare site is owned by the state, which has set its own conditions. And the licencing procedure is still ongoing and can be appealed up to the Council of State.

Meta said in a reaction that it is ‘pleased’ with the council’s vote but added that ‘much work still has to be done’ before a definitive decision is taken, broadcaster NOS reported.

Local planning chief Egge Jan de Jong argues that the project will generate millions of euros in property taxes, will boost jobs and will provide heat for town heating schemes, although the details are sketchy.

The new government has pledged to remove decisions about giant data systems from local authorities and to issue the licences centrally, following calls from MPs for a national strategy.

Other massive data centres are also on the way. Microsoft has been given the green light for a second centre in Wieringermeer, in Noord-Holland, and an unnamed company wants to build a third in Appingedam, in Groningen province.