Published by Jessica Weisman-Pitts
Posted on March 29, 2022
2 min readLast updated: February 8, 2026
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AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Facebook owner Meta said on Tuesday it was suspending plans to build a giant data centre in the Netherlands, following political opposition.
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Facebook owner Meta said on Tuesday it was suspending plans to build a giant data centre in the Netherlands, following political opposition.
The move comes a week after the Dutch Senate passed a motion asking Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s government to “use its powers” to temporarily block construction of the site in the northern town of Zeewolde, 50 km east of Amsterdam.
“Given the current circumstances, we have decided to pause our development efforts in Zeewolde,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.
The town in December had approved plans to build the largest facility of its kind in the Netherlands, from which Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp would serve users across Europe.
It would use 1.38 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity and cover 166 hectares (410 acres) of farmland, and was expected to run on green energy and create 400 permanent jobs.
It was, however, opposed by some environmental campaigners who do not want the limited supply of sustainable power generated in the Netherlands to be used by a multinational company. Some residents of Zeewolde said they felt their voices had not been heard in the permitting process.
The Senate motion asked the government to delay construction until a government policy on data centres had been agreed.
“After having been invited in 2019 by the local, provincial and national government to consider a data center investment in the Netherlands and Zeewolde in particular, Meta envisioned a strong partnership that would bring jobs and community benefits to the region,” the spokesperson said.
The company left the door open to restarting the project, saying it would continue to cooperate with the municipality over what to do next.
(Reporting by Anthony Deutsch and Toby Sterling; Editing by Mark Potter)
A data center is a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems. It is essential for managing and storing data for businesses and organizations.
Green energy refers to energy that is produced from renewable, zero-emission sources, such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power. It is considered environmentally friendly and sustainable.
Environmental opposition occurs when individuals or groups resist projects or developments that they believe will harm the environment. This can include protests, legal challenges, or lobbying for policy changes.
Job creation refers to the process of providing new employment opportunities within an economy. It is often driven by business expansion, investments, and economic growth.
A multinational company is a corporation that operates in multiple countries, managing production or delivering services in more than one nation. These companies often have a global reach and influence.
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