Beringen data centres face scrutiny over power and water use

Two planned data centres in Beringen could increase the canton of Schaffhausen’s electricity consumption by up to 140 per cent and use 85 million litres of water a year, SRF reports. The projects have made the municipality a focal point in Switzerland’s debate over data centres.

One facility is under construction, while the second can already be seen through construction markers, although it has not yet been approved. The combined water consumption is raising concerns because the region is relatively dry.

Thomas Diamantidis, head of strategy and development at the Swiss branch of US company Stack Infrastructure, defended the first project. He said the ZUR02 data centre would be one of Switzerland’s most efficient facilities in terms of electricity and water consumption. The company would use only renewable energy purchased on the international electricity market.

Diamantidis said Switzerland had strong demand for data centres, which he described as central to the country’s digital sovereignty and part of the backbone of its infrastructure. He declined to name the future customers, citing contractual reasons, and refused a visit to the construction site.

Eva Neumann, a Social Democratic member of the Schaffhausen cantonal parliament and an early critic of the projects, rejected the argument that the facilities were sustainable given their resource consumption. She said the municipality would gain few jobs while having to accept extensive land and water use.

Neumann has submitted several motions on data centres in recent years. The canton’s energy law has already been amended, and parliament is considering further restrictions on job density, waste heat and cooling water consumption. A motion by Green politician Maurus Pfalzgraf has support from politicians in the Free Democratic Party and the Swiss People’s Party.

The second data centre is being planned by a local subsidiary of Turkish company Enka. Gian-Rico Willy, who advises the developers, said they had sought feedback from environmental groups, political parties and authorities and had made adjustments. He put the water use into perspective by saying the annual volume would equal the amount of water that normally flows over the Rhine Falls in one minute.

Both facilities will have to make waste heat from their cooling systems available. However, Beringen currently has no users for the heat, and a district heating network would first have to be built.

The cantonal building department, led by government councillor Martin Kessler, is responsible for approving data centres. The first facility was approved despite unresolved questions about waste heat use and the number of jobs. Kessler told SRF that the authorities had no alternative because all existing requirements had been met. Preventing such projects would require parliament to change the law, he said.

The planned legal changes are expected to take effect in the middle of next year. The second application, however, is due to be submitted shortly, making it uncertain whether it can be assessed under the new rules.