Burgenland plans data centre campus with 500 MW cap

Burgenland Energie plans a 24-hectare data centre campus in Nickelsdorf, with capacity capped at 500 megawatts. ORF reported Thursday that the state presented an artificial intelligence strategy that includes attracting data centre operators under strict conditions.

The campus would be built on land belonging to Wirtschaftsagentur, a business agency, in Nickelsdorf in the district of Neusiedl am See. The state government’s 10 criteria include requiring data centres to use closed-loop cooling systems and create jobs. Studies suggest the campus could provide about 300 jobs, according to Burgenland Energie chief executive Stephan Sharma.

Sharma said the project would also aim to use waste heat locally in households and benefit agriculture. Connecting the campus to Burgenland’s power grid could reduce network costs for residents by about 10% if the full 500 MW capacity is used, he said. The company also says the project would keep Burgenland’s data in the state and improve data security.

Developing a data centre location is the third phase of Burgenland’s AI strategy. In the second phase, AI applications were tested for a year in Zurndorf, including tools for early skin cancer detection and highly local weather forecasts to help predict photovoltaic production and grid demand. The test phase has now ended.

Sharma said the next challenge was attracting investors, who would need to commit billions of euros. Talks with interested parties are under way, but no further details were disclosed. A strategic environmental assessment and a nature compatibility assessment have already been completed.