Data centres and AI: impact on the Brussels energy system

Key figures

• 3.2 TWh: electricity consumption of Belgian data centres in 2023, representing 4% of national electricity and twice the European average
• 7 to 15.5 TWh: projected consumption by 2035 (BCG, low and high scenarios), equivalent to 5 to more than 10% of national consumption
• 4.6 TWh: annual electricity consumption of the Brussels-Capital Region (reference point)
• 32 MW: target capacity of KevlinX BRU01, the first large data centre in the Brussels-Capital Region (operational since January 2026)
• x9: multiplication of data centre grid connection requests submitted to Elia since 2022

Coverage in the Regional Policy Declaration (DPR)

The Regional Policy Declaration (DPR) of 13 February 2026 contains no specific reference to data centres. The digital transition and the energy-climate strategy are addressed separately, with no mention of the growing energy impact of the digital sector.

At the federal level, the Elia network development plan 2028–2038 will explicitly address data centre demand. The federal Minister of Energy will oversee this file in the approval of the plan.

Global context

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that global data centres consumed approximately 415 TWh in 2024, equivalent to 1.5% of global electricity consumption. This figure could reach 945 TWh by 2030 (central scenario), equivalent to Japan's annual electricity consumption.

Artificial intelligence accounts for approximately 15% of data centre energy consumption in 2024. This share could reach 35 to 50% by 2030. A significant shift has occurred: inference (the day-to-day use of models) now accounts for 60 to 70% of AI energy consumption, compared with 20 to 30% for training. It is the queries from millions of users that weigh on the energy system, more so than the construction of the models themselves.

Belgium: a rapidly growing hub

Belgium stands out with data centre consumption representing 4% of its national electricity, twice the European average (approximately 2%). The saturation of established hubs (Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin) is redirecting investment towards Belgium.

The BDIA (Belgian Digital Infrastructure Association) records approximately 35 operational data centres and 4 to 5 under construction, with a colocation capacity of 93 MW across approximately 50 installations. Investment in the Belgian data centre market is estimated at USD 1.83 billion in 2024, projected to reach USD 3.10 billion by 2030.

Hyperscaler investments in Belgium

Azure Belgium Central has been operational since November 2025. The Google site at Farciennes (approximately EUR 1 billion) will incorporate a waste heat recovery system via the Igretec network.

BRU01: the first large data centre in the Brussels-Capital Region

KevlinX BRU01 has been operational since January 2026 on the Galilei site of citydev.brussels, avenue Antoon Van Oss in Neder-Over-Heembeek (1120 Brussels).

Consumption estimate: at 32 MW and a 60% utilisation rate, BRU01 would consume approximately 168 GWh/year, equivalent to approximately 3.7% of the Brussels-Capital Region's electricity consumption and the equivalent of approximately 82,500 Brussels households (based on 2,036 kWh/year per household, Energuide). This figure is a BGM estimate; actual consumption will depend on effective occupancy.

Impact on the electricity grid

Data centre grid connection requests submitted to Elia have increased ninefold since 2022. The capacity reserved for 2034 exceeds twice the 8 TWh forecast in the network development plan. Elia proposes:

• A specific "data centre" category with capacity caps
• Flexible connections (curtailment possible during congestion peaks)
• The objective: to prevent data centres from displacing other industrial users

The European Central Bank notes that "national electricity markets are more vulnerable to AI-related pressures than gas markets" (Economic Bulletin 2/2025). Belgium, which imports a share of its electricity, is particularly exposed. The Belgian electricity mix comprised 29.8% renewables in 2024 (Elia).

Energy consumption per AI query

A standard GPT-4o query (approximately 0.3 Wh) is equivalent to approximately 9 seconds of television viewing. A GPT-5 query (approximately 18 Wh) is equivalent to approximately 1 hour 20 minutes of television viewing.

Efficiency gains are rapid: Google reports 33 times less energy per Gemini query over 12 months (and 44 times in carbon footprint). However, these gains are offset by the explosion in usage volume (Jevons paradox).

Water and environment

The Google data centre in Saint-Ghislain consumes approximately 1.39 billion litres of industrial water per year (2022). The site primarily uses grey water from the industrial canal for cooling, rather than drinking water. The new Farciennes site will use air cooling (lower water consumption). For BRU01 in Brussels, no water consumption data is available.

The European Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) has required annual reporting since September 2024 for data centres with more than 500 kW of IT capacity: PUE, water consumption, share of renewables, waste heat recovery. The first Belgian results have not yet been made public.

The Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact (CNDCP) is a voluntary commitment targeting climate neutrality for European data centres by 2030. Belgian operator LCL is a signatory.

Distribution of competences

Issues to monitor

• Elia network plan 2028–2038: will it include capacity caps for data centres? What allocation for the Brussels-Capital Region? (Decision expected 2026–2027)
• EED reporting: publication of the first reporting results from Belgian data centres (since September 2024, results not yet public)
• AI Factory Antenna: Belgium has been selected as an "Antenna" (rather than a full Factory) within the European AI Factories programme, via imec. Operational launch to be confirmed
• BRU01 occupancy: actual BRU01 consumption will be a key indicator of the impact of data centres on the Brussels electricity grid
• Waste heat recovery: the Google Farciennes project (via Igretec) sets a precedent. The Brussels-Capital Region has no equivalent obligation for data centres

What the data does not tell us

• No aggregated data on data centres in the Brussels-Capital Region: neither energy consumption, nor water consumption, nor sector-specific employment figures
• No analysis by BRUGEL or CREG on the impact of data centres on electricity prices for Brussels households and SMEs
• No urban planning framework: data centres are absent from the Regional Sustainable Development Plan (PRDD) and no specific category exists within Brussels urban planning
• Brussels Parliament: no parliamentary questions relating to data centres have been identified in the online archives (web search; Weblex is not indexed by search engines)
• EED results not public: the first reports from Belgian data centres are not publicly accessible
• Taxation: no specific tax regime for data centres in the Brussels-Capital Region has been identified