Land for Meta data center in Zeewolde will not be resold for the time being

The Central Government Real Estate Agency does not want to sell the intended land for the Meta data center in Zeewolde to the Flevoland municipality for the time being. Until Meta meets government requirements, the construction of the controversial data center will be thwarted in this way.

Some of the land on which Meta wants to build the data center belongs to the state and before it is sold to the local municipality, Meta must meet certain requirements. According to Minister Hugo de Jonge for Housing and Spatial Planning, the company does not yet comply with this reports the NOS† The way in which solar panels have been incorporated in the design of the data center would not yet meet the requirements of the national government.

De Jonge is now in talks with the Zeewolde city council to further negotiate the possible arrival of Meta’s controversial data center. “We also know that the political situation in Zeewolde has of course changed,” said the minister. He is referring to the new council of Zeewolde that took office in March, consisting of many parties that are against the arrival of the data center.

The consumption of the Meta data center is an ongoing point of discussion in the run-up to possible construction; Central government real estate company expects ‘maximum sustainability and minimum energy consumption’ from the mega data center. The power and water consumption of the data center is therefore a recurring point of discussion. Partly for this reason, De Jonge, the Senate and the Zeewolde city council have already expressed negative views about the potential data center.

Artist’s impression of the Meta data center at Zeewolde. Image: Municipality of Zeewolde