A Data Center is Planned in Wilhelmshaven, Germany

A large, unnamed developer is planning a data center and energy park near Wilhelmshaven in Sengwarden, Lower Saxony, with project costs estimated in the billions of euros. The exact scale and purpose of the facility have not yet been disclosed.

Few additional details have been released by the municipality. According to NWZ Online, the planned data center would be connected to a district heating system. The project was first discussed in Wilhelmshaven during a meeting of the Committee for Economic Affairs, Tourism and Ports, which included plans to sell land via a concept-based framework rather than a standard bidding process. Unlike traditional tenders, this approach evaluates proposals based on criteria such as environmental sustainability and long-term tax revenue potential.

The data center market in Lower Saxony remains relatively small compared with nearby hubs such as Hamburg and Frankfurt, with only nine planned and operational facilities listed by DataCenters.com. NWZ Online reports that Wilhelmshaven already hosts a facility supporting enterprise resource planning systems for the German Armed Forces. Separately, renewable energy developer Telis Energie Deutschland is planning a 500MW data center near Mehrum, close to Hanover. The 4.09 million sq ft (380,000 sqm) campus will include six 25-meter-high buildings and is targeted for completion in 2030.