SDSM: Data centres would strain scarce water and power, party accuses Mickoski and VMRO–OKG of pushing projects for profit

Published: 08 August, 2026 13:28

SDSM warned that plans to host commercial data centres in North Macedonia risk putting scarce water and electricity supplies under pressure, arguing the projects would benefit political allies of Hristijan Mickoski and VMRO–OKG while raising costs for households.

The party's statement points to a wider European context: drought and falling river levels — including low flows on the Danube — have already disrupted electricity generation in parts of Europe and created a real risk of power shortages and higher prices. North Macedonia currently imports more electricity than it produces, the party noted, and more than 50 settlements are dealing with polluted water supplies.

Environmental and economic trade-offs

SDSM emphasised that modern commercial data centres consume very large quantities of both power and clean water, while delivering limited local employment and tax gains. The statement cites figures that a single large data centre can use between 1 and 3 million litres of water per day — roughly the amount consumed by a town of 15,000 to 30,000 residents.

According to the party, Macedonia’s infrastructure cannot sustain such additional demand without risking restrictions on water use and further increases in electricity prices. They also raised questions about cooling operations: which water sources would be used, whether rivers would be warmed by discharged cooling water, and what the impacts would be on biodiversity.

SDSM said it supported digitalisation in principle but rejected projects that, in its view, place water and power at risk for private gain. The party called for an immediate moratorium on the construction of new commercial data centres that use evaporative cooling systems and said citizens should not be left to carry the cost of higher bills while people close to the government profit.

Photo: press material from the event