Equinox's project in South Africa faces environmental challenges
Written by Ziad Abdel Fattah:
The plans of the American data center company Equinix are facing a wave of objections from community and environmental organizations in South Africa, due to concerns about the impact of a huge project the company intends to implement in Cape Town on water, energy resources and the environment.
A formal objection submitted to local planning authorities and seen by Reuters revealed that the objectors believe the project cannot be decided upon or approved before full disclosure of the details of its environmental impact and consumption of essential resources.
The objection was filed by the Housing Association (HA), which represents more than 20 local communities in the Western Cape, along with the British non-profit organization Foxglove, asserting that the current documents lack the necessary information to enable officials to accurately assess the project.
Expected electricity consumption of 160 megawatts for two data centers
According to the documents, the project includes the construction of two large data centers in Cape Town with a total expected electricity consumption of up to 160 megawatts, while key details remain undisclosed, including backup power mechanisms, water consumption volume and potential environmental emissions.
Rosa Curling, co-executive director of Voxglove, said that the information currently available is insufficient to make a decision on a project of this size, noting the lack of essential data relating to water consumption, emissions, electricity demand, use of diesel generators, and air and noise pollution.
Water consumption is of particular importance in Cape Town
The issue of water consumption is of particular importance in Cape Town, which suffered between 2017 and 2018 from a severe drought crisis known as «Day Zero,» when water reservoirs approached critical levels, prompting authorities to impose widespread restrictions on consumption.
Equinix confirmed that it has completed the purchase of the land for the project but has not yet submitted any formal planning applications for the site. In a statement responding to Reuters' inquiries, the company added that it is committed to full transparency and will provide all relevant information to stakeholders should it decide to proceed with the project.
The company explained that it is conducting early consultations with local utilities, government agencies and stakeholders to understand local priorities and support the decision-making process.
These objections come at a time when technology companies are expanding globally to build data centers to meet the growing demand for computing and artificial intelligence capabilities, amid growing societal concerns about electricity and water consumption and the environmental impacts associated with these projects.
The project developers are scheduled to have 30 days to respond to the objections submitted, before the Cape Town city authorities begin reviewing the application and making a final decision within a period that may extend up to 180 days.
In contrast, the South African government recently announced plans to boost investment in digital infrastructure, including data centers, through tax incentives and regulatory reforms aimed at expanding connectivity services and supporting the digital economy.
