Google Files Permit Modification for Ecaussinnes Data Center in Belgium
Google has submitted a permit modification request for its planned data center in Ecaussinnes, Belgium, proposing a significant redesign that would consolidate three planned buildings into a single, larger facility with increased IT capacity. The tech giant’s Belgian subsidiary, Crystal Computing, filed the request with the Walloon Region, according to RTBF.
The revised proposal also replaces the originally planned water-based cooling system — which would have drawn from the Charleroi-Bruxelles canal or the Sennette river — with air-based cooling, a change that addresses growing concerns about water consumption by data centers.
Background: A Permit Granted in 2024
The original permit, granted in April 2024 by the Walloon Region, authorized construction of three data center buildings with associated infrastructure on a 36-hectare site along Rue de la Ghellerée in the Feluy-Ecaussinnes industrial zone. Antenne Centre reported at the time that the project was expected to create between 180 and 200 jobs.
The permit came with conditions negotiated by the commune of Ecaussinnes, including a 20-meter vegetal buffer between installations and residences, measures to limit soil impermeabilization, heat recovery systems, and mobility improvements such as shared bicycle stations and a car-sharing point at local train stations.
The Ecaussinnes project is part of Google’s broader expansion across Wallonia, complementing its long-standing site at Saint-Ghislain (operational since 2007) and a newer facility at Farciennes. In October 2025, Google announced a €5 billion investment in Belgian AI infrastructure through 2027, which the company said would add 300 jobs and bring total direct employment to over 900 in Wallonia.
What the Modification Changes
According to Antenne Centre’s reporting, the new request removes two of the three originally approved buildings and significantly expands the remaining one, with increased computing capacity. Google is consolidating its design approach around a single, more powerful infrastructure rather than three separate facilities.
The shift from water-based to air-based cooling is notable given the increasing scrutiny of data center water consumption. Google’s Saint-Ghislain campus consumes approximately 1 million cubic meters of water per year for cooling, and Walloon Minister François Desquesnes, who oversees land planning, has closely monitored water and energy use by data centers across the region.
Public Inquiry and Local Concerns
A public inquiry is currently open until September 7, 2026, allowing residents of Ecaussinnes and neighboring Seneffe to submit observations on the modification request. Local mobilization has emerged on social media encouraging opposition, and the commune of Ecaussinnes will issue its formal opinion on the proposal.
Mayor Sébastien Deschamps has expressed frustration over the difficulty of obtaining detailed information from Google about the project, which RTBF has dubbed the tech giant’s “grande muette” (great silent one) approach. “We don’t get answers for reasons of competition, that they can’t provide us with the information,” Deschamps told RTBF. “But if you want us to make a decision, to give an opinion, we local communal authorities need to have all the ins and outs, all the elements to be able to rule validly. And for now… I’m not reassured at this stage.”
Crystal Computing declined interview requests from local media regarding the permit modification.
Grid Constraints and Infrastructure Challenges
The project faces significant hurdles beyond the permitting process. The Walloon electrical grid is currently saturated, and the Ecaussinnes site only has access to medium voltage (25 MVA) through local distributor Ores until grid operator Elia completes high-voltage upgrades expected by 2029, as Theia Global reported.
The broader infrastructure context includes the controversial Boucle du Hainaut project — an 80-kilometer high-voltage line designed to bring electricity from North Sea offshore wind farms to Wallonia. The project has drawn significant local opposition, with residents in Ecaussinnes organizing a human chain protest on August 30 against the planned route of 60-meter-tall pylons through their community.
What’s Next
The public inquiry closes on September 7 at 10:00, after which the commune of Ecaussinnes will issue its opinion on the modification request. The Walloon Region will then have the final say on whether to approve the revised plans.
Minister Desquesnes has said each data center proposal must be examined on its merits, asking whether it “generates sufficient positive spin-offs for the local economy, not harming water resources or energy resources, and not putting Wallonia in a complicated situation.”
For local authorities and residents, the key questions remain unanswered: How many jobs will the revised single-building design actually create? What will its total energy consumption be? And can the region’s strained electrical infrastructure support Google’s ambitions? The coming weeks will provide some clarity as the permitting process moves forward.