Smart Cities World – Batteries and Renewables
Energy Group Fortum and technology giant Microsoft are collaborating on a project to capture the extra heat in a data center area and use it to heat a home.
Microsoft is building a data center in the Helsinki metropolitan area in Finland. It uses 100% zero-emission electricity and Fortum transfers the clean heat from the server cooling process to homes, services and businesses connected to its district heating system.
The concept of recycling waste heat in the computer room area will be the largest of its kind in the world.
Waste heat recycling
The concept is believed to be unique in that the location of the server center area was chosen specifically for waste heat recycling. It utilizes Fortum’s existing district heating infrastructure, which is the second largest in Finland for heat recovery and distribution.
The infrastructure includes about 900 km of underground pipes that transfer heat to about 250,000 users in the cities of Espoo and Kauniainen and in the municipality of Kirkkonummi.
Fortum has been working with local cities and municipalities for several years to pave the way for these investments.
“Sometimes the most sustainable solutions are simple: by utilizing the waste heat from computer rooms, we can provide clean heat to homes, businesses and public buildings.”
“Developing solutions to the global climate challenge together with our partners is a strategic priority for Fortum, and we are proud to embark on this exceptional journey with Microsoft,” said Markus Rauramo, President and CEO of Fortum.
“Sometimes the most sustainable solutions are simple: by utilizing the waste heat from computer rooms, we are able to produce clean heat for homes, companies and public buildings in the district heating network in Espoo and the surrounding areas in Finland and reduce approximately 400,000 tonnes of heat. CO2 emissions annually.
“This is a significant step towards a cleaner world, made possible by our joint effort to curb climate change.”