New data centres could worsen water stress in Germany
A study estimates that German data centres’ water use will more than double by 2030.
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Data centres in Germany used an estimated 13 billion litres of water for cooling in 2025. According to a new short study by the Öko-Institut, that figure could rise to 27 billion litres a year by 2030 as a result of planned mega-data centres, particularly in regions that are already dry.
The study was commissioned by Greenpeace and uses data from the national data centre register, supplemented by an estimate from the Fraunhofer-Institut for total electricity consumption. It covers direct water use for cooling, not all the water indirectly needed to generate electricity or produce chips.
For 2025, the study arrives at approximately 13 billion litres of water. According to the researchers, that is equivalent to the annual drinking-water use of 275,000 people. With new mega-data centres, annual consumption could rise to 27 billion litres by 2030, according to the model, comparable to the drinking-water use of 580,000 people.
The result is not a measurement of the future, but a model calculation. The researchers combine reported efficiency and consumption data with different cooling technologies and expected growth in data-centre capacity. According to the study, this means that for a data centre with a connected load of 100 megawatts, estimated annual water requirements range from 200 million to 930 million litres.
The geographical distribution matters more than the national total. In areas where groundwater is already scarce, additional cooling water could, according to the Öko-Institut, put pressure on drinking-water supplies, create conflicts between users and damage ecosystems. A data centre located in an area rich in water does not automatically have the same local consequences as a comparable facility in a dry area.
The researchers argue that energy-efficient data centres do not necessarily have to use a great deal of water. According to the study, dry cooling or compression cooling can greatly reduce direct water consumption or bring it down to zero. This may have consequences for energy use, costs and the technical design of the facility; the study does not prescribe an optimal solution for every location.
The figures also have a limited basis. According to the study, 484 operators had submitted data out of an estimated 1,200 data centres subject to reporting requirements, and 319 notifications were public. After implausible values were removed, only 139 datasets could be used. The estimate is therefore dependent on incomplete registration and assumptions about unreported facilities.
The industry association Bitkom disputes the conclusion that water use across the sector is broadly problematic. According to Bitkom, almost two-thirds of German data centres use no more than 0.1 litres of water per kilowatt-hour of IT electricity, and significant consumption is mainly associated with evaporative cooling. The industry association and the researchers therefore assess the risks of water use differently.
The development is relevant to the Netherlands because the same growth in AI is driving plans for larger data centres and additional demand for electricity, space and cooling. The German study does not prove that Dutch projects will use the same quantities of water. It does show, however, that water availability, alongside electricity and grid capacity, could become a separate condition in planning approvals.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The study estimates the direct cooling-water use of German data centres at 13 billion litres in 2025.
- The figure of up to 27 billion litres in 2030 is a model calculation.
- The available register data are incomplete, and only 139 datasets were found to be usable.
- Bitkom disputes that data-centre water use is broadly problematic.
Left
Arguments Planning approvals for large data centres should give greater weight to water availability and local ecological damage than to the speed of AI expansion.
Values Protection of public resources, climate justice and democratic oversight.
Consequences Stricter requirements could delay projects, but would prevent local residents and ecosystems from bearing the costs of digital growth.
Centre
Arguments New data centres are possible, but only with reliable registration, location-specific water research and clear standards for cooling technology.
Values A balance between innovation, economic development and workable policy.
Consequences A transparent planning system can limit risks without ruling out all projects in advance.
Right
Arguments The market should retain room to develop more efficient cooling technologies; general restrictions could harm investment and digital competitiveness.
Values Economic freedom, technological progress and international competitiveness.
Consequences Greater scope for development could deliver AI capacity more quickly, but local authorities must still be able to intervene where water is genuinely scarce.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · 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 main figures and methodological limitations appear in the study itself and were checked against Deutschlandfunk and ZDF. The text clearly distinguishes between measured 2025 data and modelled values for 2030.
- confirmed German data centres used approximately 13 billion litres of water for cooling in 2025. — The study cites 13 billion litres of direct water use in 2025. source
- confirmed Water use could rise to 27 billion litres a year by 2030. — The study presents 27 billion litres as a modelled upper limit. source
- confirmed Only 139 datasets were usable after cleaning. — This is stated in the study’s methodological explanation. source
- confirmed Bitkom considers water use in the sector largely unproblematic. — Deutschlandfunk and ZDF cite this objection from Bitkom. source
Editor's note
The 2025 measurement is based on reported and cleaned register data; the 2030 figure is a modelled upper limit, not a certain forecast. The study was commissioned by Greenpeace, and the industry association Bitkom disputes the broad interpretation of the water problem.Sources
- Wasserverbrauch von Rechenzentren in Deutschland — Öko-Institut Consult en Greenpeace
- Studie warnt vor Wasserstress durch neue Mega-Rechenzentren in Deutschland — Deutschlandfunk
- Mega-Rechenzentren: Studie sieht Wasserversorgung gefährdet — ZDFheute