Science & Tech · AI · 20 hrs ago
AI data center project in West Java paused amid permit and environmental concerns
The growth of artificial intelligence is driving demand for data centers, which use electricity and may need large amounts of water for cooling.
In Indonesia, a BDx Data Centers project worth 3.5 trillion rupiah in Purwakarta, West Java, has been temporarily halted amid permit issues and concern about its possible environmental effects.
The facility is near the Jatiluhur Reservoir, which supplies raw water and supports irrigation.
An environmental management expert at Bandung Institute of Technology says assessments should consider water use, energy demand, wastewater, land changes, heat and effects on communities.
She says studies should show whether the center can get enough water without reducing supplies for residents and other users, including during dry seasons.
Water use varies widely between data centers, depending on their size, location and cooling systems, so estimates for one facility may not apply to another.
The project’s pause leaves questions about permits and environmental impacts unresolved; the available information does not say when work may resume.
BDx Data Centers’ Rp3.5 trillion AI data center project in Jati Luhut, Purwakarta, West Java, has been temporarily halted amid permit issues and environmental concerns.
The facility’s water and electricity needs have raised questions about pressure on resources also used by local communities.
An environmental management expert said the project’s water use, energy demand, wastewater and other effects need assessment.
Waduk Jatiluhur serves several purposes, including supplying raw water and irrigation, so studies should establish whether the facility’s needs can be met without reducing allocations to others.
Water consumption varies widely among data centers, depending on factors such as size, location and cooling technology.
- Who
- BDx Data Centers is developing the project; environmental expert Mariana Marselina discussed its potential impacts.
- What
- The AI data center project has been temporarily halted amid permit issues and environmental concerns.
- When
- The project’s pause date is not stated. The article was published on October 11, 2026.
- Where
- Jati Luhut, Purwakarta regency, West Java, Indonesia.
- Why
- It was paused amid permit issues and scrutiny of potential environmental impacts.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The ecological impacts that need to be studied include water use for cooling systems, large energy needs, wastewater characteristics, land-use changes and surface runoff, noise, waste heat, and indirect impacts on communities that also depend on the same water resources.
I think the concerns that have arisen about data centers are reasonable and should be answered with data. People should not only be told that there is enough water.
A cited report estimated that data centers in the United States used 449 million gallons of water per day.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute published a study stating that a data center can use up to 5 million gallons of water per day.
Mariana Marselina spoke to CNN Indonesia about environmental impacts and the need to assess water use.
CNN Indonesia published its report on the project and data center resource demands.
- Project value
- Rp3.5 trillion
- Project location
- Jati Luhut, Purwakarta regency, West Java
- Project status
- Temporarily halted
- Water source
- Waduk Jatiluhur serves raw-water supply and irrigation needs
- Maximum cited use
- Up to 5 million gallons of water per day per data center
Sources
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