Protest against mega data centre near Amsterdam’s Sloterdijk
Campaign groups warn about the power and water consumption of a planned data centre leased to Microsoft.
There is news on this story (Friday, 6 November 2026, 13:43): Activists enter Microsoft construction site in Amsterdam
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A protest against new data centres is being held near Sloterdijk in Amsterdam on Friday. The action is directed in part at a planned data centre by Pure DC, which organisers say would use as much electricity as all Amsterdam households combined.
The protest is taking place at the site on Plimsollweg, where Pure DC is developing a large data centre. According to local reports, the building will be leased entirely to Microsoft. The organisers link their concerns to pressure on the electricity grid and the use of drinking water for data centres.
The comparison with all Amsterdam households comes from information about the project and is not a measurement of current consumption. It concerns the data centre’s expected electricity use once it is fully operational. The precise duration, phasing and actual load on the grid are not detailed in the publicly available sources.
The demonstration is part of international days of action against new data centres on 6 and 7 November. In Amsterdam, participating groups are also organising a meeting on data centres, democratic decision-making and artificial intelligence.
Data centres are important for cloud storage, software and AI services, but their growth can clash with limited grid capacity and spatial choices. The debate is therefore not only about one building, but also about which digital applications should take priority when energy and space are scarce.
The municipality of Amsterdam has previously discussed policies and permits for data centres. The Partij voor de Dieren said that an earlier proposed halt to new mega data centres failed to secure a majority on the municipal council. It is not known whether Friday’s protest will lead to new decisions.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- A protest against new data centres has been announced near Sloterdijk on 6 November.
- The protest is directed in part at a planned Pure DC data centre that, according to local reports, is being leased to Microsoft.
- The comparison with Amsterdam households’ electricity use is a project estimate and has not been independently verified.
Left
Arguments Emphasises that scarce energy and space should first be available for households, public services and sustainability efforts. Large data centres should face stricter conditions concerning electricity, water and social benefits.
Values Collective services, climate policy and democratic oversight.
Consequences Fears additional grid congestion, water consumption and delays to housing or other connections.
Centre
Arguments Wants data centres to be built when they demonstrably fit within grid capacity, spatial rules and transparent agreements. Decisions should be based on measurable data about energy, water and jobs.
Values Proportionality, predictable government and digital infrastructure.
Consequences Emphasises that delays can slow digital services and economic investment, but that unlimited growth can also create public costs.
Right
Arguments Emphasises economic freedom, technological competitiveness and the importance of reliable digital infrastructure. Permits should above all be clear and not arbitrary.
Values Entrepreneurship, innovation and national competitiveness.
Consequences Fears that local blockades will move investment and digital autonomy to other countries.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved with corrections · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The protest, the location and the claim about expected electricity use can be found in public sources. The text explicitly states that the comparison is an estimate and that independent consumption data are lacking.
- confirmed A protest against new data centres is being held near Sloterdijk on 6 November. — Oozo.nl and Fossielvrij NL mention the action on 6 November. source
- confirmed The planned Pure DC data centre is being leased entirely to Microsoft. — Local reporting mentions this leasing arrangement. source
- uncertain The data centre will use as much electricity as all Amsterdam households. — The source presents this as the expected scale of the project; independent verification is lacking. source
1 correction(s) applied
- Was: The data centre uses as much electricity as all Amsterdam households.Now: According to publicly available project information, the data centre could come to use as much electricity as all Amsterdam households combined. (This is an estimate from publicly available project information, not an independent measurement.)
Editor's note
The protest and the electricity comparison have been confirmed in public reporting. Independent data on future exact consumption and water requirements are lacking.Sources
- Slurper van stroom en drinkwater: protest tegen nieuw megadatacenter bij Sloterdijk — Oozo.nl
- Supportdemo: Stop nieuwe datacenters — Fossielvrij NL
- Stop de komst van mega datacenters in Amsterdam — Partij voor de Dieren Amsterdam
The story so far
- Friday, 6 November 2026, 09:44 Protest against mega data centre near Amsterdam’s Sloterdijk (this article)
- Friday, 6 November 2026, 12:45 Police intervene at protest against Microsoft data centre
- Friday, 6 November 2026, 13:43 Activists enter Microsoft construction site in Amsterdam
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „datacenters amsterdam”
- De Telegraaf — „datacenters amsterdam”
- de Volkskrant — „datacenters amsterdam”