The approval of the mega data center that Meta plans to build in Talavera de la Reina (Toledo) has set off the alarm bells of ecologists and environmental entities after learning that it will consume millions of liters of water in a territory seriously affected by drought.
The Junta de Castilla-La Mancha decided a few weeks ago that the Meta project should be launched, highlighting its impact on the territory -more than 1,000 jobs and 250 highly qualified direct workers, according to the regional executive-, but ignoring that the infrastructure It will consume more than 600 million liters of drinking water per year.
The significant expenditure that will be made on water resources in an area severely affected by drought -even more so in recent months- has caused complaints and opposition to the Meta project by entities such as Ecologistas en Acción, from which it warns of that the territory will suffer the consequences of this erosion.
The president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano GarcÃÂa-Page, was fully committed to the huge Meta data center ending up in Talavera de la Reina, although he warned that the project had to be approached “with prudence”. In addition, he asked that all social agents, employers, unions, and political parties get involved so that “this project reaches a happy ending.”
But GarcÃÂa-Page’s desires collide with the enormous energy consumption and, above all, water that a data center of this type generates. The infrastructure that will occupy 180 hectares will need adequate cooling systems to support the databases, servers and computer systems that Meta needs.
Without making direct reference to how this project would impact the water problem, the president of Castilla-La Mancha highlighted the arrival of Meta as an example of transforming “adversities” such as water scarcity “into the opposite.” In any case, the regional government considers this mega data center essential and is accelerating to get it up and running as soon as possible.
