Noord-Holland grants exemption for new data center in Aalsmeer

Preparations for a new data center on the former flower auction site in Aalsmeer can proceed after the province of Noord-Holland granted an exemption for the project. The planned facility will cover 10,800 square meters and may reach a maximum height of 10 meters.

The municipality of Aalsmeer requested the exemption because Noord-Holland’s Data Center Strategy 2025-2027 generally limits new data centers to under 2,000 square meters unless certain conditions are met.

“The plan can meet the conditions we set in the provincial data center strategy,” said Esther Rommel, provincial deputy for spatial planning (VVD). “For example, the data center must fit well within the municipality’s spatial plans. This plan meets that requirement.”

The data center will occupy the rear section of the former auction grounds, which currently contains a large industrial hall and office buildings. The front area of the site includes the historic, monumental part of the former auction complex, which will remain untouched.

Authorities said the data center is expected to reduce traffic in the area, improving road safety. Rommel added, “The data center development must also have a positive impact on the energy system for at least fifteen years. The project initiator plans to contribute by supplying residual heat to surrounding companies.”