May 29, 2026 | Posted by Abdul-Rahman Oladimeji
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has unveiled plans for a new data center in Maintal, Hesse, expanding its infrastructure footprint near Frankfurt. The 10.6-hectare (26-acre) site will include two data center buildings, a substation, and office space. AWS said the project is expected to create up to 100 permanent jobs, although details on the facility’s capacity have not been disclosed. The development forms part of AWS’s $9.44 billion investment in the Frankfurt region announced in 2024. According to local reports, the facility will be powered directly from the grid and will primarily use recirculated air for cooling.
At a public information meeting held at the Bischofsheim community center, AWS principal solutions architect Thomas Blood said the company may use water-based cooling systems during hot weather, with about 93% of the required water sourced from stored rainwater. He also noted that AWS servers consume around 0.125 liters (0.03 gallons) per kWh—significantly below the industry average of 0.8 liters per kWh.
The company’s planned presence in Maintal has sparked local debate, according to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Some residents have criticized Mayor Monika Böttcher for not using the municipality’s right of first refusal to block the sale of land to AWS. Böttcher, however, defended the decision, saying the option was ultimately not enforceable, and that AWS had paid more than €9 million ($10.4 million), exceeding what the city could have offered to acquire the land.
More controversial, however, are plans by data center operator EdgeConneX to build a gas-fired power plant to supply electricity to its new facility in the nearby Dörnigheim district. The company says the project is necessary due to long delays in connecting the data center to the national grid. However, local residents have raised concerns about potential carbon emissions, and protests have reportedly led to a temporary halt in construction, according to Windmesse.
