Frankfurt Suburb Council Approves Data Center Proposal

Municipal authorities in Hesse, western Germany, have approved a new data center in Gießen developed by Revikon. The six-hectare (14-acre) facility is expected to cost more than €1 billion ($1.1bn), consume up to 65MW of power, and create around 200 permanent jobs.

Although 38 of Gießen’s 57 council members approved the project, the development faces opposition over expected traffic disruption. Critics are planning a protest rally on September 13. Energy economics professor Stefan Lechner of the nearby Technical University of Central Hesse also questioned the project’s scale, saying it was “too big” and driven by profitability.

Gießen’s first data center will be built on a 16.75-hectare (41-acre) site in Katzenfeld, with construction expected to begin late this year. The operator has not yet been selected, with Revikon and local authorities to finalize the choice and refine the design. The project may use waste heat to warm nearby homes, although critics have questioned local demand. The development would be Gießen’s first data center. The project comes amid growing opposition to data centers in Hesse. A €3 billion ($3.4bn) Stack Infrastructure project in Babenhausen was cancelled in July, while Vantage’s €2.5 billion ($2.97bn) data center near Groß-Gerau was rejected by the local council in February.