A project has been launched in France to use residual heat from a data centre to produce biomass. The initiative, led by data centre operator Data4 in collaboration with the Fondation de l'Université Paris-Saclay and the start-up Blue Planet Ecosystems, is the first step towards a new generation of biocircular data centres.
Data centres are the backbone of the digital economy, but they also consume vast amounts of energy. Much of this is lost as waste heat. In Marcoussis, south of Paris, this heat is now being reused to grow microalgae – a plant biomass with a remarkably high CO₂ absorption capacity.
On the roof of the Data4 data center, a so-called LARA system (Land-based Automated Recirculating Aquaculture), developed by Blue Planet Ecosystems, has been installed. This modular system uses residual heat to maintain a closed ecosystem in which algae grow. The algae are fed with CO₂ and light, and can then be processed into valuable raw materials for applications in agriculture, food, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals.
Green impact
According to the initiators, the algae can absorb up to twenty times more CO₂ per square meter than trees. In the first test phase, it is estimated that the system can capture around 13 tons of CO₂ annually. At full rollout – in which the facades of the data center will also be equipped with algae modules – this could amount to 36 kilograms of CO₂ per day, with a daily biomass yield of 20 kilograms.
In addition to the environmental impact, the project also offers economic benefits. “In France, there are almost 18 terawatt hours of residual heat available from data centers that are currently unused,” says Linda Lescuyer, Head of Innovation at Data4. “By using this energy source locally for sustainable production, we create new value and potentially new employment.”
Research and knowledge
The project is embedded in the scientific infrastructure of the region. The Fondation de l'Université Paris-Saclay supports the initiative under the umbrella of the ABIOMAS (Artificial Biomass Production Systems) chair, with the aim of investigating technological, ecological and economic aspects of artificial biomass production.
According to the university, the project fits perfectly within the objectives of the Paris climate agenda and the ambitions of the European Green Deal. By using existing infrastructure and residual flows, the system ties in with the principle of the circular economy.
Towards a bio-circular data center
Although the project is currently in a pilot phase, the partners involved are calling it a “world first”: it is the first time that a data center is used for the production of biomass on this scale and in this way. According to Data4, this is an important step towards a “bio-circular data center”, in which digital services and nature restoration are interwoven.
It is expected that, if successful, the system can be further scaled up to other locations in Europe – especially in urban regions where there is demand for both green raw materials and innovative solutions for residual heat use.
Photo: Dircom91/T.Cochet-Peduzzi
