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Meta's proposed hyperscale data center in Zeewolde, Netherlands was officially cancelled in July 2022 following intense local and national opposition. The project, which would have become the largest data center in the Netherlands, was permanently blocked when the Council of State struck down the municipality's zoning plan in September 2023.

Project Specifications:

• Site: 166 hectares (410 acres) at Trekkersveld IV
• Location: Zeewolde, Flevoland, ~50 km east of Amsterdam
• Annual Energy: 1.38 GWh from renewable sources
• Jobs: 400 permanent positions promised

Timeline:

• Late 2019: Meta (then Facebook) began exploring site, initially concealing identity
• February 2021: Application submitted before Flevoland's data center moratorium
• December 2021: Zeewolde council approved zoning change (11-8 vote)
• March 2022: Project paused after Senate motion and local election upset
• July 2022: Meta officially cancelled project
• September 2023: Court definitively struck down zoning plan

Cancellation Factors:

The project faced opposition on multiple fronts: environmental groups protested the consumption of renewable energy by a multinational, local residents objected to converting fertile reclaimed farmland to "metal boxes," and the anti-data center party Leefbaar Zeewolde won an absolute majority in March 2022 elections. National concerns about data centers consuming 10% of Netherlands' electricity by 2030 added pressure. Part of the required land was government-owned, and officials ultimately refused to sell, citing sustainability concerns and violation of national spatial planning strategy.