Burgenland develops criteria for proposed Nickelsdorf data centre

Burgenland and Burgenland Energie are developing criteria for the possible construction of a large data centre in Nickelsdorf, ORF reported. The requirements will include limits on the water used to cool the facility.

Burgenland Energie chief executive Stephan Sharma said there would be no continuous water extraction for cooling. One possible solution would be a closed cooling-water circulation system that does not require ongoing water withdrawals.

“These are precisely the criteria we will define for our region, while also making it attractive to data centres in the future and creating value and jobs in Burgenland,” Sharma said.

Water consumption is also a concern surrounding a planned hydrogen project in Zurndorf, described as Austria’s largest hydrogen project. It was presented four years ago but has not yet been implemented and is currently on hold.

The project would regulate how gas infrastructure is handled in the future. Burgenland Energie said this was a decisive factor. Hydrogen remained an alternative to gas and a component of energy independence, the company said.

The share of energy independence has risen to 74 percent over the past five years, according to the report. Burgenland aims to reach 100 percent by 2030 and will continue investing in storage capacity.