FILE PHOTO – The Microsoft logo can be seen on the Microsoft Germany headquarters building in Munich. (is associated with: «Microsoft plans fourth data centre in western Germany») Sven Hoppe/dpa
US tech giant Microsoft announced on Wednesday it is planning a fourth data centre to the west of the German city of Cologne.
Microsoft said it had signed a provisional contract to purchase a site in Grevenbroich, which is in a region in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia where coal mining is being phased out. The data centre is due to be operational in the early 2030s.
The company did not reveal details on cost. It is investing €3.2 billion in three other projects launched in 2024 for datacentres in the lignite-mining region, and the expansion of an existing Microsoft location in Frankfurt.
Construction permits have been granted for sites in Bedburg and Bergheim in the region, while a permit for a site in Elsdorf is being processed.
“North Rhine-Westphalia is a strategically important cloud and AI region for Microsoft,” Microsoft Germany head Agnes Heftberger said. “This expansion means additional investment in local infrastructure and in the people who live and work there,” Heftberger added.
Hundreds of jobs are expected to be created at two of the new locations, as well as around 2,500 jobs in other companies expected to move to be near the datacentres. Grevenbroich, which has a population of 69,000 could anticipate a similar boost.
Grevenbroich Mayor Klaus Krützen said the potential investment was a significant signal for the entire region, as the structural change it was going through needed concrete projects and investment.
“A datacentre of this size underlines that Grevenbroich is ready to be involved in the digital transformation as a modern, future-oriented and reliable location for business,” he said.