Frankfurt 6 Data Center

NTT DATA will build and operate a cutting-edge data center campus at the Rhein-Selz Park site. The area served as a site for US military barracks until 2009, when it was transferred to the Federal Agency for Real Estate Tasks (BImA), and has been unoccupied since then.

Through a joint development initiative, the town of Nierstein and the Rhein-Selz municipality have partnered with NTT DATA to transform the site along the B420 federal highway into a future-focused data center campus. This development is set to provide a long-term boost to the region's economic strength and innovation potential.

A data center provides a secure and highly available environment for sensitive information technology systems (servers, storage, and network components). Larger data centers are typically standalone buildings specifically designed to house IT components. Data centers feature redundant power supplies, reliable climate control, and physical security measures. This creates the conditions necessary to operate critical IT systems continuously and without interruption. The larger a data center is, the more cost-effective and energy-efficient it can be operated due to scaling and synergy effects in the infrastructure.

In its colocation data centers, NTT DATA provides the technological and organizational prerequisites for the reliable operation of its customers’ sophisticated IT systems. Some data centers are available exclusively to a single customer, while others serve a wide range of customers from various industries.

Data centers form the foundation of the digital society. As soon as IT systems (computers, TVs, or mobile devices) are online, servers in data centers become active. Companies and organizations rely on data centers for digital services, business processes, and general collaboration. Whether email or online banking, traditional websites, railway networks, public lighting systems, or scientific calculations—much of our daily life would be unthinkable without data centers.

They are therefore considered part of critical infrastructure, and operators are subject to the KRITIS regulation. This level of security is continuously reviewed by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). From NTT DATA’s perspective, data centers are of particular importance because the functioning of other critical infrastructures depends directly on IT systems.

All digital services delivered via the internet or the cloud require data centers. Tens of thousands of servers are housed within them, running the programs and processing and storing the data that make the internet usable. These servers provide a wide range of digital services (websites, weather forecasts, account balances, streaming services, etc.). Storage systems keep the necessary data structured and accessible.

Data transmission takes place both within the data center and to external destinations via high-performance networks. Security measures such as encryption and firewalls protect data from unauthorized access and ensure its integrity. Regular backups and redundancy strategies ensure that critical data can be restored in the event of a failure. In addition, management tools help optimize data flows and manage the data lifecycle to ensure efficient and smooth operations.

NTT DATA provides a secure, stable, and highly efficient environment for its customers’ IT systems: redundant power supply reduces the risk of outages, proximity to key internet hubs minimizes latency (data transmission time), and comprehensive physical and digital security measures protect infrastructure and data. Every data processing operation requires electricity, which is entirely converted into heat—making cooling a central aspect of data center operations.

How a data center works

The amount of energy a data center uses depends on how much it is being used.
In Germany, all data centers together use less than 1% of the country’s total energy. Their share of total electricity use is currently about 3.8%.

Energy flow in a data center

Following the completion of key preparatory planning phases, first works have now begun at Rhein-Selz-Park, the site of the planned data center campus in Nierstein. These activities will be carried out gradually over the coming weeks and will lay the groundwork for the next stages of construction.

Current activities on-site include the delivery of construction site containers, which will be used to set up the site office, as well as the arrival of the first of the larger items of construction equipment. Areas of the site that are not currently required for construction activities are being secured and fenced off. Additional measures are also being implemented to ensure site safety.

All works are being carried out with the support of environmental and soil protection specialists. This ensures that environmental and soil protection requirements are professionally considered from the outset and that all applicable legal requirements are met.

A key priority for us is to keep any potential disruption to local residents to a minimum. NTT DATA will continue to provide transparent and timely information about upcoming activities and the next relevant steps as the project progresses.

In Q4/2024, the formal planning process was approved by the Nierstein city council and the council of the Rhein-Selz municipality, as well as their respective specialist committees. The goal is to develop the Rhein-Selz Park into a modern data center site, thereby establishing a future-oriented technology presence in the region.

All relevant councils and committees have been unanimously in favor of the project. This broad consensus provides a stable foundation for the successful implementation of the project, while taking all relevant stakeholder interests into account.

With the official approval of the land use plan and the development plan in December 2025, and the entry into force of the development plan on January 28, 2026, another important project milestone has been reached.

Since July 2026, the first preparatory construction works for the planned data center campus have been underway at Rhein-Selz-Park. Accompanying environmental measures are already being implemented. The building permit process has been ongoing since May 2026.

Planning process

On January 28, 2026, the development plan for the planned data center campus in Nierstein came into force, with the amendment to the land use plan taking effect one week earlier. This establishes the legal planning framework for the development of the campus;
the plans are now legally binding and form the basis for all further approval and implementation steps.

At the Nierstein city council meeting on December 10, 2025, the statutory resolution for the development plan was unanimously adopted and the urban development agreement between NTT DATA and the City of Nierstein was signed. On December 4, the Verbandsgemeinde council had already passed the final resolution for the land use plan.

Transparency and direct exchange with residents of the surrounding towns and municipalities are a key priority. On July 3, 2025, a second information session took place in the Sironasaal at the Best Western Hotel in Nierstein. All interested citizens were invited; no prior registration was required.

On December 6, 2024, the public disclosure period for the preliminary draft ended. The comments and suggestions submitted by citizens and public authorities were reviewed to assess the extent to which they could be incorporated into the next phases of planning process.

Transparency and direct dialogue with residents of surrounding towns and municipalities are a key priority. On the evening of October 31, 2024, NTT DATA presented the preliminary planning concepts and key findings from initial expert studies to the general public at an information session. More than 350 citizens attended the event in the Sironasaal at the Best Western Hotel in Nierstein, contributing questions and feedback and establishing an open and constructive exchange that will continue throughout the project.

All councils and specialist committees were unanimously in favor of the project. This unified support forms a stable foundation for the successful implementation of the project, taking all relevant stakeholder interests into account.

The identification of suitable sites is based on NTT DATA’s extensive expertise in developing and operating large data centers in Europe and is guided primarily by local digital infrastructure conditions and proximity to potential customers. The selected site offers a favorable combination of these factors, ensuring efficient operation of the planned data centers. As part of the assessment of Rhein-Selz Park, all relevant factors for the construction and operation of a data center campus of this scale were thoroughly evaluated by a team of NTT DATA experts.

NTT DATA was selected through a structured bidding process.

We do not plan to use an evaporative cooling system, which would require very high water consumption especially in summer. Instead, the data centers planned for Nierstein will use dry-cooling systems with closed-loop cooling water circuits. Therefore, water consumption will be very low compared with that of many other data centers.

In addition, a rainwater harvesting system will be implemented, primarily for irrigating the site’s green areas.

Noise emissions may result from cooling systems and backup generators, but these will not exceed legally permitted limits. Current noise assessments confirm that noise emissions will not be noticeable in surrounding communities.

Safety lighting may cause light emissions.

Occasional CO₂ emissions may occur during the testing of diesel backup generators.

Compliance with all regulatory thresholds will be ensured through technical measures.

The visibility of buildings and stacks will depend on viewing direction and distance.

The planning objective is to integrate the data center buildings into the landscape as harmoniously as possible. This includes the preservation and planting of trees to reduce visibility, as well as fencing and perimeter structures. The architectural design of the buildings, including a carefully selected color scheme, will also play an important role. Façades will be partially greened and, where technically and economically feasible, equipped with photovoltaic elements. Detailed planning will be further refined in the coming months.

As part of the planning process, NTT DATA commissioned several renowned independent expert consultants, who also work for public authorities. The aim was for them to assess potential impacts of the data center campus on the local climate and environment, and for us to incorporate their findings into our planning where necessary. Model calculations by ÖKOPLANA and GEO-NET Umweltconsulting show that the data centers will not cause any noticeable changes in airflow or temperature in neighboring municipalities or agricultural and vineyard areas.

Data center users expect power supply to be maintained for at least 48 hours in the event of a grid failure. For this purpose, the facilities are equipped with backup generators powered by fuel (diesel, heating oil, or e-fuels).

As long as grid stability in Germany remains high, these backup generators will be used very rarely.

Given the long-term nature of the infrastructure project, innovations in backup power supply are monitored continuously, and incorporated into the technical concept wherever possible.

The site will be connected to the high-voltage grid (110 kV). The necessary grid expansion to supply the site will be carried out by the grid operator under the supervision of the relevant authorities. Initially, the supplied electricity corresponds to the standard German energy mix, including both conventional sources (for example, coal and natural gas) and renewable sources (such as solar, wind and hydro). However, data centers will be legally required to source all electricity from renewable energy from 2027 onwards.

The direct integration of wind or solar power is being evaluated. In addition, façades may include photovoltaic elements, where technically and economically feasible. Detailed planning will be further specified in the coming months.

We are in active discussions with the responsible grid operator, Westnetz, regarding reliable power supply options. We are currently on schedule to achieve an IT load of 482 megawatts.

No. Internet bandwidth in surrounding communities is completely independent of the operation of the data centers.

A new high-voltage connection will be required for the site. Planning and implementation lie with the grid operator, under the supervision of the relevant authorities. The associated costs are part of the connection agreement between NTT DATA and the grid operator.

No additional high-voltage pylons will be constructed in the immediate surroundings of Nierstein.

All data centers of this scale in Germany are classified as critical infrastructure under the KRITIS regulation. The associated requirements for physical and digital security are fully implemented, including comprehensive protection against potential attacks on digital infrastructure.

Yes. NTT DATA is creating the technical conditions for the delivery of realistically expected and technically usable waste heat. We are working with experienced partners in this field to evaluate possible utilization opportunities.

NTT DATA actively participates in open dialogue with municipalities and potential users to develop ideas and solutions for utilizing CO₂-free waste heat.

If you have any questions, please send an email to: dc.emea.rechenzentrum.nierstein@global.ntt

NTT DATA is a leading global IT services company offering a wide range of services, including data centers, network technology, cloud computing, cybersecurity and edge computing. NTT DATA is a subsidiary of the Japanese company NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation).

Global Data Centers is a business unit of NTT DATA focused on building and operating secure and highly available colocation data centers worldwide. With locations in over 20 countries and markets, it enables digital growth and innovation across Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, and India. The European headquarter of Global Data Centers is located in Hattersheim/Main.

NTT DATA is recognized as a leader by major network and data center analysts. As a neutral operator, we provide access to multiple cloud providers, a wide range of internet exchanges, and telecom network providers, including our own IPv6-compatible Tier 1 global IP network.

Clients benefit from tailored infrastructure and consistent best practices in design and operations across all our highly available, scalable, and customizable data centers. We enable next-generation technologies for scalable computing, virtualization, data migration, as well as private cloud and B2B connectivity at regional and global levels. We focus on energy efficiency and the latest security standards to ensure a reliable infrastructure. In the planning and operation of our resilient and customizable data centers, we follow a standardized approach. In line with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), NTT DATA is committed to achieving net-zero emissions across all business areas by 2030 and across the entire value chain by 2040. In addition, we aim to power all our data centers worldwide with 100% renewable energy by 2030.

If you have any questions about the plans in Nierstein, our team is happy to help at:
dc.emea.rechenzentrum.nierstein@global.ntt.