BRESCIA, Italy -Italian utility A2A and French tech firm Qarnot on Wednesday inaugurated a data centre in Italy that aims to capture waste heat from computer servers and channel it directly into a
A2A and Qarnot Launch Innovative Data Centre for District Heating in Italy
BRESCIA, Italy -Italian utility A2A and French tech firm Qarnot on Wednesday inaugurated a data centre in Italy that aims to capture waste heat from computer servers and channel it directly into a local heating grid.
Located in the city of Brescia, in northern Italy, the facility uses liquid-cooling technology.
"The rapid spread of data centers and the growing electrification of consumption require major investments in power grids. But data centers also offer a remarkable opportunity for cities with district heating networks," A2A CEO Renato Mazzoncini said at the inauguration.
The Brescia project is expected to meet the heating needs of more than 1,350 apartments and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 3,500 tons annually – equivalent to the absorption capacity of over 22,000 trees.
"In (the Italian region of) Lombardy alone, with projects already in the pipeline, we estimate that 150,000 apartments could be heated this way," Mazzoncini added.
The project addresses the growing global challenge of managing the environmental impact of digital infrastructure, which is increasingly energy-intensive.
Qarnot aims to expand its presence in Italy as a provider of high-performance computing services.
(Reporting by Giancarlo Navach. Editing by Mark Potter)
