Colocation data center firm Equinix is facing opposition to its plans to build two data centers in Cape Town, South Africa, over concerns about water use and power.
– Zachary Skidmore
According to Reuters reporting, the colo giant has seen its plans to construct two data centers in the Mother City face opposition from community groups and the UK non-profit Foxglove, who have claimed that the projects lack key details on water use, electricity demand, and environmental impact.
"There is simply not enough information for a decision on a project of this scale, with no substantive detail on water use, emissions, electricity demand, diesel generators, air pollution, noise, or even the buildings themselves,” said Rosa Curling, co-executive director at Foxglove.
The groups filed a formal objection to the city over the proposed projects, which, if built, could total 160MW of capacity. The objection also raised concerns over the use of diesel backup generation, pollution, and noise. Cape Town has faced significant load shedding in recent years due to mismanagement at the country’s state-owned utility, Eskom. The city also came very close to running out of portable water during the 2017-2018 "Day Zero" drought crisis, which has heightened community concerns over the implications of large-scale data centers in the city.
