A data center has been planned in Erkrath, outside of Düsseldorf in Germany.
Located within the Unterfeldhaus commercial area on Heinrich-Hertz-Straße, the site was formerly occupied by furniture company Möbel Flamme, according to local press.
Details of the facility have not yet been shared, nor have timelines been established, although the old furniture store is expected to be demolished this year.
Power and utility contracts for the data center have been signed with the Erkrath municipal utilities, with the waste heat being used for district heating.
Mayor Christoph Schultz said: “Thanks to the intensive support of the marketing process by the city’s economic development, building supervision, and city planning departments, the sale of the approximately 10,000 sqm (107,638 sqf) area with new use as a data center was successfully implemented.”
City utility managing director Gregor Jeken added: “In particular, the use of permanent waste heat from the data center will make a positive contribution to the decarbonization of the city.”
Investment in the power grid by the municipality of Erkrath is also set to take place, with the city set to analyze new energy supply options to use the waste heat as effectively as possible.
In Germany, the new Energy Efficient Act states that data centers that go into operation from July 2026 must prove that ten percent of their waste heat is being reused.
In nearby Düsseldorf, Digital Realty, AtlasEdge, WIIT, Lumen, Exa Infrastructure, and Equinix all have a presence.