Activists in Austria oppose expansion of Google data center
In the municipality of Kronstorf in Austria, local activists are opposing the expansion of a large Google data center that the company is building on the outskirts of the town. Opponents of the project are concerned about future electricity consumption, the use of water for cooling, and the potential environmental impact, Politico Europe reports.
Google is building Austria's first hyperscale data center in Kronstorf. According to the publication, once the project is completed, its consumption could reach the equivalent of 7% of the country's current electricity demand.
Electricity consumption
At the first stage of the project, the facility's electrical capacity requirement will be 150 MW, and after a possible expansion it could increase to 500 MW. According to estimates by Austrian Power Grid and Upper Austria's electricity grid operator, the data center's annual consumption at the first stage will amount to 1.31 TWh, and 4.4 TWh after expansion.
For comparison, all households in Vienna consume about 3.4 TWh of electricity per year. Austria's Ministry of Energy and Economy stated that the electricity grid can support the operation of the new data center, but the development of such facilities must be accompanied by the expansion of renewable generation, powerful grids, energy storage systems, and flexibility mechanisms.
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Concerns over water and permits
Activists Harald Mühlner and Christina Gruber are seeking above all to prevent the second phase of construction. According to them, the data center will use water from the Enns River for cooling and discharge heated water back into it. Gruber said that warm discharges could alter the habitat of aquatic species and create additional stress for them.
Google assured that independent expert opinions prepared during the permitting procedure showed that the facility would have a minor impact on the water temperature in the Enns. The company also plans to install solar panels on the building's roof and create a fund to improve the condition of the local river ecosystem.
Opponents of the construction criticize the fact that Austrian law does not require a full environmental impact assessment for such a data center. The Social Democrats, who are part of the governing coalition, want to introduce such a requirement for data centers; they are supported by the opposition Greens. The Austrian People's Party, which heads the Energy Ministry, opposes tighter regulation. Google expects the project to create about 100 jobs.
