Key Takeaways
- Energy recovery: The Equinix PA10 data center in Saint-Denis delivers a recoverable thermal potential of 6.6 megawatts, with an estimated annual output of 10,800 megawatt-hours.
- Technical infrastructure: The system relies on plate heat exchangers rated at 3.3 megawatts each and three heat pumps housed in shipping containers, which raise the temperature to 65 degrees Celsius for injection into the network.
- Environmental impact: The share of renewable energy in the local district heating network has risen from 64% to 75%, with an estimated savings of 1,800 tonnes of CO2 per year.
Waste Heat Becomes an Urban Resource
The PA10 data center operated by Equinix, running in Saint-Denis since 2023, heats the water at the Olympic Aquatics Centre and supplies thermal energy to a thousand housing units in the ZAC Plaine Saulnier district. The facility was designed to capture the residual heat generated by continuous server operation, where temperatures inside the server rooms can exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Heat Recovery Mechanism
Hot air generated by the racks enters the system at 28 degrees Celsius and is routed toward two plate heat exchangers rated at 3.3 megawatts each. The heated fluid then passes through three heat pumps, housed in shipping containers, which raise the temperature to 65 degrees, the level required for injection into the district heating network managed by the Syndicat Mixte des Réseaux d'Énergie Calorifique (SMIREC).
The heat travels 90 kilometers of piping before reaching the Olympic Aquatics Centre, a venue built for the Paris 2024 Games that hosted diving, artistic swimming, and water polo. The same network supplies offices, shops, and public spaces throughout the developing district.
The Energy Recovery Figures
The facility's recoverable thermal potential stands at 6.6 megawatts, with an estimated annual output of 10,800 megawatt-hours, enough to cover the heating needs of roughly 1,500 homes. Before the data center was integrated, the Plaine Saulnier district heating network drew 64% of its supply from renewable sources, primarily biomass and geothermal energy. With Equinix's contribution, that share has climbed to 75%, delivering an estimated savings of 1,800 tonnes of CO2 annually.
The Partnership and Length of the Agreement
The project is the result of a collaboration between Equinix, Engie Solutions, SMIREC, and the Métropole du Grand Paris. Equinix has committed to supplying the recovered heat at no direct cost to the district heating network for a period of 15 years, through 2039, ensuring continuity of supply to the public infrastructure.
The Context of the Aquatics Centre
The Olympic Aquatics Centre, built using bio-based materials, features a rooftop photovoltaic installation spanning 5,000 square meters, among the largest of its kind in an urban setting in France. The integration of recovered heat from the data center adds to this existing setup, rounding out a circular energy management system for the sports facility.
Prospects on a National Scale
According to estimates from Ademe, the recoverable waste heat potential from data centers in France could rise from 1 terawatt-hour in 2020 to 3.5 terawatt-hours in the coming years, a volume sufficient to heat approximately 350,000 dwellings. The growing demand for computing capacity driven by artificial intelligence is making waste heat management an increasingly relevant issue for digital infrastructure operators across Europe.
