Cape Town tribunal approves Equinix data centres despite activist objections

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Proposal for two controversial data centres approved in South Africa despite objections over water and electricity

Municipal authorities in Cape Town have approved Equinix's proposal to develop two data centres in the city, despite objections from activist groups over the project's water use, electricity demand and environmental impact.

The decision marks a significant step forward for the U.S.-listed company and its planned development in the King Air Industria area, as demand for data-centre infrastructure rises across Africa.
 
Probably because the CoCT knows the facts, that the site is next to a wastewater treatment plant, has unlimited water supply, good logistics, and is not suitable for housing. Most of the objectors are outsiders, with no clue as to facts on the ground.

Edit: Even Google knows that:
King Air Industria is a modern 71-hectare secure industrial and logistics park in Cape Town, located within a 2 km radius of Cape Town International Airport. Developed on the former King David Golf Course site, it provides A-grade warehousing, distribution centers, and offices with direct access to major transport routes.
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Gordon_R said:
Probably because the CoCT knows the facts, that the site is next to a wastewater treatment plant, has unlimited water supply, good logistics, and is not suitable for housing. Most of the objectors are outsiders, with no clue as to facts on the ground.

Edit: Even Google knows that:
Click to expand...
Why is it not suitable for housing? The golf course is flanked by houses.

Will be sad to see the golf course go. Going to suck having the greens replaced with concrete and such. Progress I suppose.
 
porchrat said:
Why is it not suitable for housing? The golf course is flanked by houses.

Will be sad to see the golf course go. Going to suck having the greens replaced with concrete and such. Progress I suppose.
Click to expand...

There may be some confusion between the old King David (airport) and the current one (Mowbray). Google says it is too late for the airport site:
The old King David Golf Club site near Cape Town International Airport is not suitable for housing because it was already permanently redeveloped into King Air Industria, a 70-hectare industrial and logistics park.
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Gordon_R said:
There may be some confusion between the old King David (airport) and the current one (Mowbray). Google says it is too late for the airport site:
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Weird. I thought they were proposing building the data centres where the current Mowbray golf course is.

Seems the golf course has separate plans for use as housing.

Thanks for pointing that out.
 
This is crazy. It is land already zoned for industrial use. It is surrounded by other industrial buildings. It is not as if it is farmland, or nature reserve or housing area being converted to industrial use.

I understand that the AI data centers is getting out of hand in the US. But very different situation.
 
Gordon_R said:
Probably because the CoCT knows the facts, that the site is next to a wastewater treatment plant, has unlimited water supply, good logistics, and is not suitable for housing. Most of the objectors are outsiders, with no clue as to facts on the ground.

Edit: Even Google knows that:
Click to expand...
OR the Tribunal is a corrupt body with a track record of problematic descisions.

 
Nerfherder said:
OR the Tribunal is a corrupt body with a track record of problematic descisions.

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I stopped reading the Daily Maverick a few years ago. I have no intention of watching a video by them. Planning and development is always a compromise. It is very easy for one side to take ad-hominem potshots, so I will be disregarding your comment.

For reference, I am currently reading a lengthy book about climate change and the CoCT. It is based on a symposium, and a bit dated (2012), but gives a good overview of the incredible technical, political and legal issues involved in any kind of decision making. See: https://www.africancentreforcities....cale-impacts-mitigation-adaptation-cape-town/

Cape Town has some unique geographical features that limit spatial development. The centuries of history are filled with major controversies about water and sanitation, and development. Some things don't change...
 
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Gordon_R said:
I stopped reading the Daily Maverick a few years ago. I have no intention of watching a video by them. Planning and development is always a compromise. It is very easy for one side to take ad-hominem potshots, so I will be disregarding your comment.

For reference, I am currently reading a lengthy book about climate change and the CoCT. It is based on a symposium, and a bit dated (2012), but gives a good overview of the incredible technical, political and legal issues involved in any kind of decision making. See: https://www.africancentreforcities....cale-impacts-mitigation-adaptation-cape-town/

Cape Town has some unique geographical features that limit spatial development. The centuries of history are filled with major controversies about water and sanitation, and development. Some things don't change...
Click to expand...
Well if you don’t want to read what we post then we don’t need to read yours, hey.
 
Johand said:
This is crazy. It is land already zoned for industrial use. It is surrounded by other industrial buildings. It is not as if it is farmland, or nature reserve or housing area being converted to industrial use.

I understand that the AI data centers is getting out of hand in the US. But very different situation.
Click to expand...

Technical clarification. The only reason this particular story exists is because not all of the land was zoned industrial, and the owners wanted to consolidate the site. The broader issue about energy use will be covered in the next steps. This is stated in the link I posted just before your comment:
Gordon_R

Post in thread 'Cape Town tribunal approves Equinix data centres despite activist objections'

BTW, this is only the first step, zoning permission to consolidate the land. A site development plan has many other legal requirements (including energy use). See:
groundup.org.za

Giant data centres get the first green light from Cape Town tribunal

Two massive water-hungry and energy-hungry data centres are proposed next to the airport
groundup.org.za groundup.org.za
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The application by King David Country Club involves three erven, two of which are zoned as General Industry, and one as Mixed Use. The landowner sought to have all three zoned as General Industry in order to have the zoning uniformity required by Equinix. The application also sought to consolidate the three erven into one, and amend the condition of approval granted in 2019 restricting floor space to less than 300,000 square metres.
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There was also some discussion about whether General Industry zoning includes a giant data center, but that is another story...
 
Gordon_R said:
Probably because the CoCT knows the facts, that the site is next to a wastewater treatment plant, has unlimited water supply, good logistics, and is not suitable for housing. Most of the objectors are outsiders, with no clue as to facts on the ground.

Edit: Even Google knows that:
Click to expand...
As far as I'm aware, most South African datacentres are closed-loop and don't consume much water at all.

The only one I know of that did was MTN's Gallo Manor but they converted to a closed loop many system years ago.

Datacentres are built for efficiency and redundancy. I would be VERY surprised if a new build was not closed-loop.
 
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