CloudHQ data center in Leopoldsdorf must undergo environmental assessment

The planned data center project by US corporation CloudHQ in Leopoldsdorf, Lower Austria, must undergo an environmental impact assessment (EIA). This decision was made by the Department of Environmental and Plant Law of the Lower Austrian State Government following a determination procedure initiated by CloudHQ.

The project involves the construction of three data center units on a 6.7-hectare site. Each unit will consist of a three-story building, accompanied by wastewater facilities, closed cooling systems with waste heat utilization concepts, and a dedicated substation. State experts noted that the requirement for an EIA is driven primarily by the planned emergency power generators, which are expected to have a combined fuel heat output of approximately 470 megawatts.

Lower Austria recently tightened its Spatial Planning Act, requiring projects exceeding three hectares to obtain a state government site ordinance in addition to municipal designation. Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf stated that the assessment allows for a necessary examination of the project’s impact on the region.