In 2035, data centers will use 10 percent of Belgian electricity
© Reuters
Last year the Belgian data centers together consumed 3.2 terawatt hours (TWH) on electricity, accounting for 4 percent of the total consumption in our country. That is more than the European average of 2 percent. This is apparent from a report from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) about which L’Echo writes on Saturday. According to the same report, consumption will at least triple in the coming ten years and in 2035 the data centers would be good for 10 percent of Belgian electricity consumption.
Source: Belga
Today at 07:53
A scenario in which there is an explosive growth of everything that has to do with Artificial Intelligence (AI) is based on a consumption by the data centers of 15.5 TWH in 2035. For comparison: the nuclear reactors of Doel 4 and Tihange 3 together produce around 15 TWH together. In ten years, therefore, one to two nuclear reactors will have to be used exclusively to provide the data centers of our country.
If we compare the figures with the total demand for electricity in Belgium in 2035 – which, according to various sources, will also rise to a level between 115 and 140 TWH – and thereby start from a growth that is somewhere between ‘average’ and ‘high’ then the data centers would still be good for 10 percent of the total consumption of the country.
Internet giant Google remains the company with the largest data framer structure on Belgian territory, but in the short term it is expected that competitor Microsoft Google will be on the heels because Microsoft has three data centers under construction.
:format(webp)/s3/static.nrc.nl/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/28143839/web-3105ZAT_LEV_giro_algemeen_2.jpg "With the grip of Simon Yates, the Giro d’Italia ends in the spirit of this edition: with a thunderous surprise")
