The urban development green zone is currently in the process of being reclassified as a "special data centre zone". This means that up to a million square metres of data centre could be built on this plot of land in several steps, which would bring its size up to about 15 times the size of the Belle Etoile shopping centre between Bertrange and Strassen.
The necessary urban development plan amendments could be done by the end of 2019, provided everything goes to plan. Construction could start as early as 2020.
In a first step, the land would need to be prepared - an area the size of 48 football pitches. This could take up to two years. In terms of infrastructure, a new road would also need to be built from the N7 to the data centre.
Depending on the evolution of the demand for data within Europe, the internet giant Google would then start constructing the data centre according to its requirements. Several halls of up to 25 metres in height (equivalent to the height of the Golden Lady in Luxembourg City) would then be built in Bissen. On the outside, some structures could measure as much as 33 metres in height.
Plans include three data centre units, an administrative building, a warehouse facility and other buildings. Google is known for being able to adapt to the demand rather quickly and developing its facilities in several steps according to the company's needs.
In order to minimise the environmental impact of the project, a green zone will need to be planted and the water management system will need to be adapted accordingly.
The water supply for the data centre cooling system is one of the biggest issues right now. Studies are trying to establish the best solution to the problem, examining whether it would be possible to redirect water from the Luxlait water treatment plant or even directly from the Alzette river.
The cooling system is expected to be the noisiest aspect of daily operations at the planned Google data centre, which is why it will be built as far away as possible from residential areas.
For more info on the municipal council meeting, check out the article in the links box below:
RTL Today: Google data centre project takes another important hurdle
