New billion-euro data center to be built in Belgium
The Sappi industrial site in Lanaken, located in the eastern Limburg region of Flanders, is poised for a massive technological transformation, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to Belga News Agency, Dutch infrastructure operator Switch Datacenters has unveiled plans to construct a high-quality data center on the property. The initial capital expenditure is projected to range from several hundred million to over 1 billion euros. The project could directly generate between 150 and 250 permanent jobs.
Switch Datacenters intends to acquire approximately 8 of the site’s 27 total hectares to develop a state-of-the-art, sustainable facility. While the company’s baseline construction budget scales up to 1 billion euros, the total economic footprint – including tenant hardware, servers, and specialized computing equipment – is expected to be significantly higher.
The construction phase is expected to span five to seven years, though Switch Datacenters aims to fast-track operations and launch early-stage services ahead of full completion. The company intends to reuse existing industrial structures where possible.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstan is set to commission the first facility of its Data Center Valley by June 2027.