150MW Data Center Proposal in North Frisia, Germany, Faces Local Backlash Over Height and Transparency
July 1, 2026
150MW Data Center Proposal in North Frisia, Germany, Faces Local Backlash Over Height and Transparency
A proposed 150MW data center in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany, has sparked significant local opposition, highlighting growing tensions between the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure and community concerns over planning and aesthetics. The facility, developed by Uniq Land, is planned for a 592,015 sq ft (55,000 sqm) site near the village of Langenhorn in North Frisia, with an option to expand its grid connection capacity to 300MW if future demand warrants it.
The project received a hostile reception at a town hall meeting on June 18, where residents voiced strong skepticism about the scale and transparency of the development. Municipal planning permission has yet to be granted, with local authorities postponing a decision following the feedback. “We deliberately selected Langenhorn because it offers outstanding conditions for building sustainable digital infrastructure,” said Jens Kampkötter, managing director of Uniq Land, citing Schleswig-Holstein’s status as a leading German state for renewable energy generation. “At the same time, the project will help strengthen Germany’s and Europe’s digital sovereignty by expanding the availability of modern, resilient digital infrastructure. We believe Langenhorn is an ideal location to combine sustainable energy resources with the infrastructure needed to support long-term economic growth and digital innovation.”
Construction is planned to start in March 2028, contingent on approval from the Langenhorn municipality. However, several residents expressed dismay about the proposed height of the two buildings on site, each standing 27.5 meters (90 ft) tall, and criticized the planning process for a lack of transparency. “The data center wasn't mentioned once in the building committee meeting two weeks ago,” one resident told the meeting, according to local reports. “If they had been more transparent, there would have been more trust.”
Uniq Land, a data center developer based in Grünwald, Bavaria, is entering a relatively small regional market if the project is approved. According to DataCenters.com, only eight data centers are currently operational in Schleswig-Holstein. Yet the state’s proximity to major offshore wind farms has attracted intense developer interest. Proposals for two other large facilities—a 200MW data center in Busdorf and an AI data center of indeterminate compute capacity in Schuby—have prompted environmental group BUND SH to call for a statewide strategy to manage such developments. The Langenhorn project underscores the broader challenge facing German regions: balancing the need for resilient digital infrastructure and renewable energy integration with local democratic processes and environmental stewardship.
Source: datacenterdynamics
