The Netherlands, widely acclaimed for its tulips, windmills, and cheese, is also an important player in a different realm: the data center market. Due to its strategic geographical position, its advanced digital infrastructure and its strong commitment to sustainability, the Dutch data center market, particularly in Amsterdam, is significant on the global stage.
After halting the realization of new data centers for a year, the municipal executive of Amsterdam announced on 1 July 2020 policies to welcome new data centers. Yet, they may be opened only under strict conditions.
For over a year, the realization of new data centers in the Amsterdam and Schiphol airport area was banned.
The municipalities of Amsterdam and Haarlemmermeer (home to Schiphol Amsterdam Airport) have announced a temporary halt of the realization of new data centers in their region. According to these municipalities, data centers take up too much space and consume too much energy.
Amsterdam and Schiphol are logical locations for data centers for various reasons (e.g.,