Microsoft Grevenbroich

Microsoft is planning a fourth data center in Grevenbroich, Germany, as part of its expanding AI cluster in the Rhineland region. This new facility will complement the three data centers announced in 2024 in Bedburg, Bergheim, and Elsdorf. A conditional purchase agreement for approximately 23 hectares of land, previously used for agriculture, has been signed, with the project's realization dependent on a development plan to be created in collaboration with the city.

While Microsoft has not disclosed the investment amount, industry estimates range from a high triple-digit million euro sum to around one billion euros. Microsoft emphasizes its use of a closed-loop water cooling system that requires minimal refilling after initial use and avoids evaporative cooling. The project has encountered criticism concerning its potential impact on local employment, electricity prices, and business tax revenue, with concerns raised about the highly automated nature of data center operations and the limited number of permanent jobs created post-construction.