Data centers are essential for our digital infrastructure and digital economy; without data centers, a digital society would be impossible. However, the NIMBY argument (Not In My Back Yard) is increasingly being raised: why don’t we place them in other countries? I’d rather not have them in my backyard.
Investment in the quality of our digital infrastructure is essential for maintaining our digital society, digital economy, international competitiveness, and sovereignty. If we allow our digital infrastructure to deteriorate, we risk losing this position. Furthermore, there is a significant chance that data centers will then be established in countries that use little to no sustainable energy.
The built-up area of data centers in the Netherlands (multi-tenant and hyperscale) amounts to approximately 239 hectares. Compared to the total area of Dutch industrial sites, this represents a footprint of 0.3%, and just 0.066% of all built-up land in the country. When compared to the land use of various industries, the footprint of data centers is very small. Even with sector growth, the footprint remains minimal compared to other sectors. Given this extremely small footprint, data centers statistically contribute negligibly to the so-called “boxification” of the landscape.
The number of commercial data centers (colocation) decreased from 2017 to 2022. However, compared to 2021 (N = 96), the number of colocation data centers saw a slight increase in 2022 (N = 97). The total gross area of all colocation providers increased by 76.2 hectares in 2022, while the net area, known as the “whitespace,” grew to 37.7 hectares.
Data centers have a relatively very small footprint and contribute minimally to the concept of “boxification” (verdozing) compared to other sectors. This is one of the conclusions in the report by the College of Government Advisors (College Rijksadviseurs) on the boxification of the Netherlands. Agriculture (specifically greenhouse horticulture) and distribution centers were identified in the research as the primary causes.
See additional sources:
CBS (2018, data from 2015)
College Rijksadviseurs (2019)
CBS: Built-up NL (2019)
The built-up area of data centers in the Netherlands amounts to approximately 239 hectares (multi-tenant and hyperscale). Compared to the total area of Dutch industrial sites, this represents a footprint of 0.3%. In comparison, greenhouse horticulture covers 10,445 hectares (1.2%), and distribution centers occupy 3,459 hectares (0.41%), making data centers one of the sectors with the smallest footprint in the Netherlands.
Even with the sector’s strong growth, the footprint remains very small compared to other industries. Around 20% of all Dutch data centers are located in pre-existing commercial buildings (brownfield), and the majority are inconspicuously situated on regular industrial sites. Given this extremely small footprint, data centers statistically contribute negligibly to the so-called “boxification” (verdozing) of the landscape compared to other sectors.
Blijf op de hoogte van het laatste datacenter nieuws
