New data centre in Geneva feeds waste heat into the district heating network
Cloud provider INFOMANIAK has put a new data centre into operation in Geneva. It converts 100 per cent of waste heat into heating energy. The facility thus sets new standards in energy recovery. Due to its underground location, there is no negative impact on the cityscape or the environment.
INFOMANIAK, a pan-European cloud provider and developer of web technologies, has inaugurated a new data centre at the company’s Geneva site in the presence of representatives of the authorities and project partners. According to a press release, the electricity consumed by the 10,000 servers installed underground at the centre can be reused as heating energy via the district heating network. Although it is an energy-intensive facility, the data centre is therefore considered an “active player in energy recovery”.
In November 2024, a start was made on converting 100% of the electricity consumed in this data centre into heat and feeding it into the cantonal district heating network. The server park is currently using 25 per cent of its capacity, and the system should be running at full capacity by 2028. An output of 1.7 megawatts is then expected for the district heating network. “This amount of energy can be used to heat 6,000 Minergie-A households or give 20,000 people a five-minute shower every day,” the press release states.
The new data centre is intended to change the previous loss of waste heat with a new functional principle. It transfers the heat generated from electricity at a temperature of 40 to 45 degrees to an air-water heat exchanger, which heats a hot water circuit. Heat pumps then allow the water temperature to be increased in order to channel the waste heat into the district heating network.
The location below a residential area also contributes to the positive climate effect. As a result, there would be no impact on the cityscape. This will solve several major challenges in the cloud industry and take steps towards greater technological independence in Europe, according to the statement.