Groundbreaking for New Data Center in the Greater Vienna Area

A new digital infrastructure site is being developed in Kottingbrunn, in the Baden district of Lower Austria, in line with the principles of Lower Austria’s data center strategy. On September 28, 2026, the groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new GREENCORE Data Center colocation facility. Designed by German data center specialist Data Center Group in accordance with the requirements of the European data center standard EN 50600, Availability Class 3 (VK3), with a design approach comparable to Tier III, the facility is scheduled to provide businesses and public-sector organizations with highly available, scalable IT infrastructure from October 2027 – operated under Austrian legal and regulatory requirements.

Covering an area of 4,200 square meters, GREENCORE will not only provide scalable data center capacity but will also be designed with a strong focus on resource efficiency. This includes renewable electricity from Vienna Airport AG’s photovoltaic installation, efficient cooling concepts for standard operations and infrastructure prepared for future waste heat utilization.The project addresses key objectives of Lower Austria’s data center strategy while creating additional capacity for the secure processing and storage of business-critical data in Austria. “Starting in 2027, businesses, start-ups, public-sector organizations and research institutions will have access to GREENCORE’s modular colocation platform, providing a secure and flexibly scalable environment for their applications and data – operated in Austria under Austrian legal and regulatory requirements. Keeping data within the country simplifies coordination, provides greater legal clarity and reduces dependencies on infrastructure located abroad,” says Roman Lederer, founder and authorized representative of GREENCORE. The infrastructure is designed to grow in line with customer requirements. Once fully developed, the site will provide a secured electrical connection capacity of 8 MVA and an IT load of 6.4 MW. The offering also combines technical expertise with personal, on-site support. “Businesses, public-sector organizations and research institutions will be able to operate business-critical applications and sensitive data securely in Austria. They remain close to both their systems and the people responsible for operations, maintenance and future expansion,” Lederer adds. The technical design of the GREENCORE Data Center is based on the requirements of the European data center standard EN 50600, Availability Class 3. The standard provides a consistent framework for the design, construction and operation of data centers and covers not only availability and maintainability, but also energy efficiency, physical security, power supply, cooling, cabling and operational processes.

„Rethinking data centers“

GREENCORE is working with experienced data center specialists and regional partners to deliver the project. German data center specialist Data Center Group contributes its expertise in the design, construction and servicing of critical infrastructure and, together with Data Center Assets, is responsible for project development. “Rethinking data centers means not considering security and resource efficiency separately. Both need to work together throughout the entire lifecycle to ensure that digital infrastructure can be operated reliably and responsibly over the long term,” says Ralf Siefen, CEO of Data Center Group.

Photovoltaic power from surplus generation at Vienna Airport

The GREENCORE Data Center building in Kottingbrunn is also targeting LEED Gold certification, which assesses criteria including energy efficiency, water use and the materials used in construction. For its operations, the data center is expected to use renewable electricity from surplus generation at the photovoltaic installation at Vienna-LOAV Airfield in Kottingbrunn, which is owned by Vienna Airport AG. “Vienna Airport has demonstrated for many years that photovoltaic power generation can make an important contribution to electricity supply. At Vienna Airport, we now cover around half of our annual electricity demand with solar power generated by our own photovoltaic installations. In Kottingbrunn, there are periods when we generate more photovoltaic electricity than we consume ourselves. We will make this surplus electricity available to supply the neighboring GREENCORE Data Center. This means renewable electricity can be used directly where it is needed while also enabling an important investment in the region – a win-win situation for the location and all partners involved,” says Dr. Günther Ofner, Member of the Management Board of Vienna Airport AG.

Efficient cooling systems and infrastructure prepared for waste heat utilization 

The data center’s dry cooling systems are designed to operate without water-based cooling under normal operating conditions. Once the site is fully developed, the target design PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) is below 1.2. PUE describes the ratio between the total amount of energy used by a data center and the energy consumed by its IT equipment. The targeted value means that cooling and other supporting infrastructure will require comparatively little additional energy. Waste heat utilization is also being incorporated into the technical concept. Heat generated by the servers is intended to be technically recoverable for potential future integration into a local or district heating network.

Carmen Jeitler-Cincelli: “Digital infrastructure as a location factor for Lower Austria”

GREENCORE follows the principles of Lower Austria’s data center strategy, which considers not only resource efficiency but also suitable locations, clear framework conditions and tangible benefits for businesses and local communities. “High-performance digital infrastructure has become just as important a location factor as energy, transportation and available land. Businesses, public institutions and research organizations need secure and scalable data center capacity to further develop digital applications and business models. GREENCORE makes a concrete contribution in this area and strengthens the competitiveness of Lower Austria and the wider Vienna economic region,” says Mag. Carmen Jeitler-Cincelli, Member of the Austrian National Council and Mayor of the City of Baden, representing Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner at the groundbreaking ceremony in Kottingbrunn. “We are pleased that GREENCORE is bringing a project to the CCK Business Park that fits well with the location and further strengthens Kottingbrunn as an established business hub,” adds Peter Szirtes, Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Kottingbrunn. Wherever possible, contracts will be awarded to companies from the region, while qualified jobs are also expected to be created once the facility becomes operational. In this way, the project is intended to strengthen not only Austria’s domestic data infrastructure but also regional value creation.

Phased development through 2030

GREENCORE Data Center will be developed in several phases. Construction officially commenced with the groundbreaking ceremony on September 28, 2026. Commissioning is scheduled to begin with completion of the first construction phase in October 2027. The second construction phase is planned for 2029, with full build-out of the site scheduled from 2030. 
Further information and detailed technical specifications are available at www.greencore.at.
 

Further Information:

Vienna Airport AG as location and energy partner

In the future, a significant share of the electricity used by GREENCORE Data Center will be supplied by solar power generated at Vienna-LOAV Airfield in Kottingbrunn. The airfield is owned by Vienna Airport AG, which operates a large-scale photovoltaic installation at the site with a total capacity of approximately 9.3 MWp and 24,672 modules. Approximately 5.7 MWp, comprising 15,936 modules, is intended to supply the data center. This section of the installation generates approximately 6.2 GWh of renewable electricity per year. Photovoltaics are a central component of Vienna Airport AG’s sustainability strategy. At Vienna Airport itself, the company also operates one of Austria’s largest photovoltaic installations. More than 50 percent of the airport location’s annual electricity demand is now covered by solar power generated by its own photovoltaic systems.

www.viennaairport.com

Lower Austria’s “Data Centers in Lower Austria” Strategy

With its strategy paper, guidelines and checklist entitled “Data Centers in Lower Austria,” the State of Lower Austria has established a framework for the structured development of data center locations. The strategy focuses on a transparent approach to site development while taking into account spatial compatibility, responsible use of resources and quality of life.

www.noe.gv.at/noe/Digitalisierung/Strategiepapier_Rechenzentren_in_NOe.html

Photos: © Pat Domingo
3D visualization: © MAARCH Markon Architecture ZT GmbH