Bad Vilbel is planning mega data centers: opportunities and risks for the region!

Bad Vilbel is planning mega data centers: opportunities and risks for the region!

A lot is happening in the digitalization landscape in Bad Vilbel. With the planned construction of three data centers, the city in the Wetterau district will take on a central role in the region's IT infrastructure. According to a report by FR.de A cluster is created that could strengthen the digital supply base for numerous companies in the long term.

But what makes Bad Vilbel so particularly attractive for such construction projects? The choice of location is based not only on the size of the property, but also on a robust power supply and the excellent connection to the DE-CIX internet hub in Frankfurt. This means that the new data centers are located near one of the largest Internet nodes in the world, which is essential for rapid data transfer. Vantage Data Centers (VDC) has recognized these circumstances and is planning a hyperscale data center campus in Bad Vilbel with a total output of 16 megawatts.

Practical guidelines and safety standards

In May 2023, a “practical guide for managing the location of data centers” was published by the Groß-Gerau district. This guide includes location criteria that were developed in collaboration with the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and TÜV Rheinland. The BSI's recommendations include minimum distances from sources of danger such as gas stations, which poses a certain challenge in Bad Vilbel and the neighboring towns. Both planned locations in Bad Vilbel are closer to potential sources of danger than the recommendations advise.

However, VDC gives the all-clear and assures that all safety requirements will be adhered to. The city itself is responsible for thoroughly assessing the locations. It is important that the existing commercial building areas in Bad Vilbel are used efficiently in order to save land. This is not only sustainable, but also future-oriented.

What's going on in the neighborhood?

A data center will also be created in Karben, which will be built on the site of a former garden center. Planners there benefit from excellent location factors such as proximity to a substation and excellent transport connections. This decision shows that not only large cities like Bad Vilbel are in focus, but also smaller communities want to focus on digitalization.

In order to ensure the efficiency of the new data centers, attention is paid to analyzing the current and target status of the IT infrastructure. Experts from Data Center Group support planning with comprehensive consulting services. This includes identifying vulnerabilities and developing a concept that meets the specific requirements of the data centers.

Overall, these developments show that Bad Vilbel and the surrounding communities are well on their way to becoming a hotspot for modern IT services. The course has been set and it will be exciting to see how the digital infrastructure will develop in the coming years.