Project in Kronstorf

Google: State Councilor lays out the facts

Google plans to develop 50 hectares of land in Kronstorf in two phases and build a massive data center on the site.(Bild: FOTOKERSCHI / WERNER KERSCHBAUMM)

Provincial Councilor Stefan Kaineder (Greens), who is responsible for the water rights decision, presented new details and the impact on the Enns River on Thursday. The mega-construction project in Kronstorf remains controversial. 

Ever since the groundbreaking for the Google data center in Kronstorf, there has been heated debate about its scale—especially regarding its electricity and water consumption. On Thursday, State Councilor for the Environment Stefan Kaineder revealed details of the water rights permit for the first time. According to the permit, Google is allowed to withdraw a maximum of 202.78 liters of water per second for cooling purposes from a well field near the Enns River. That amounts to up to 5.55 million cubic meters per year. According to the expert report, 91% of the water comes from the Enns River.

 In a “stress test” simulating a higher withdrawal rate than what was actually approved, a maximum drop in the groundwater level of 14 centimeters was calculated. “Provided the facility is constructed properly and the prescribed conditions are adhered to, no adverse effects on existing drinking water and utility water wells are to be expected,” according to the experts’ assessment.

It is interesting to note what happens to the water after cooling. While Google is permitted to withdraw a maximum of 202.78 liters per second, no more than 98.89 liters may be returned to the Enns; the rest evaporates during the cooling process.

And there are clear guidelines for this as well: The water may not exceed 30 degrees Celsius upon discharge. According to calculations, the impact on the river is expected to remain manageable. Even in the worst-case scenario, the Enns would warm by a maximum of 0.85 degrees. The permissible limit is three degrees.

Although Kaineder is responsible for the water rights proceedings, he remains critical of the project as a whole: “Anyone who welcomes a global corporation to Upper Austria with ‘Googlehupf’ and a red carpet must also explain to the people what this project means for their region,” he says, expressing little enthusiasm for the ÖVP’s support of the project.