Data centers produce a large amount of waste heat that could one day be recycled and used to heat millions of homes.
Now, French data center company Data4 has teamed up with the University of Paris-Saclay to launch a project that aims to use data center heat to grow algae, which can then be recycled for energy. The pilot project, which will begin in early 2024, will be tested in the Paris region.
This initiative, led by a diverse team of experts from various fields, is promoted by the French administration “Conseil Départemental de l'Essonne” and the Université Paris-Saclay Foundation. The project arises in response to the growing environmental impact of data centers, which have seen a 35% annual increase in data storage worldwide.
A more efficient alternative
Algae grown from captured CO2 will be recycled into biomass to create new sources of circular energy and will also be used in the production of bioproducts for other industries.
According to a feasibility study carried out with the startup Blue Planet Ecosystems, the carbon capture efficiency of this method can be 20 times greater than that of a tree.
Data4 says using data center waste heat for algae growth is a more efficient alternative to the common practice of using it to heat nearby homes, which only uses 20% of the heat produced.
“This augmented biomass project responds to two of the great challenges of our time: food security and the energy transition. This requires close collaboration between all actors in the Essonne region, including Data4, to develop a true ecology project industrial, aimed at pooling resources and reducing consumption in the region. Thanks to this partnership with the Fondation de l'Université Paris Saclay, we have the opportunity to draw on one of the most prestigious scientific communities in the world to work towards a common goal of a circular energy economy,” says Linda Lescuyer, Chief Innovation Officer, Data4.
