Project record, campus
Microsoft Rhenish mining area data centre cluster (Bergheim, Bedburg, Elsdorf)
Cluster of three Microsoft hyperscale data centres in the Rhenish lignite region of North Rhine-Westphalia. Ground was broken in Bergheim on 12 March 2026, with building permits granted for Bergheim and Bedburg and Elsdorf to follow. Microsoft says the sites will use a closed-loop cooling concept without evaporative water loss. WDR reports the first data centre is due for completion in 2028 and cites Microsoft's €3.2 billion German AI and cloud investment, which is a company-level figure. Capacity not disclosed.
Reported figures
| Figure | What it measures | Delivery state | Scope and date | Used in totals | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EUR 3.2 billion Disputed 3,200,000,000 EUR | Investment Microsoft Germany AI and cloud infrastructure investment, EUR billions. Scope across Germany per Microsoft 2024 announcement, attributed to the region by WDR. Not a verified project budget. Source wording: "3,2 Milliarden Euro will Microsoft in der Region investieren" | Announced Stage stated in source: Announced | company 12 Mar 2026 | No. Scope is company, not one physical project. Not attributable to this asset. | www1.wdr.de (opens in a new tab) |
Each figure is shown as reported, with its own definition. IT, facility, grid and thermal figures are never added together. Capacity definitions.
Cooling
Closed-loop cooling with no evaporative water use, refilled almost never after initial fill (Microsoft). news.microsoft.com (opens in a new tab)
What changed
- 12 Mar 2026 Groundbreaking in Bergheim, permits for Bergheim and Bedburg Related: Microsoft. news.microsoft.com (opens in a new tab)
Technologies
Relevant policy
Sources (2), last checked 18 Oct 2026
- Spatenstich für Rechenzentrums-Cluster in Nordrhein-Westfalen (opens in a new tab), Microsoft Source EMEA, published 12 Mar 2026, accessed 18 Oct 2026
- Spatenstich für Microsoft-Rechenzentren in Bergheim (opens in a new tab), WDR, published 12 Mar 2026, accessed 18 Oct 2026
Last checked 18 Oct 2026 by CoolPower Index research (automated, sourced). Report a correction.