Pilot project to create first biocircular datacenter

A pilot project led by the Data4 group, a French operator and investor in the data centre market, and the University of Paris-Saclay, will create a prototype to reuse part of the heat produced by these environments. According to the institutions, this is the first project of its kind and is being carried out in the Essonne region of Paris.

The work will be carried out by a multidisciplinary and multi-skilled team with specialists in the fields of biomass, digital, Artificial Intelligence, physics and chemistry, among others. The aim of the Research & Development project is to propose answers to the strategic challenge of reusing the heat generated by datacenters, studying various options, including the most widespread, which is heating nearby homes. However, this alternative only uses 20 per cent of the heat produced, according to the researchers.

To increase the efficiency of heat reuse, the Data4 group is looking for new ways, such as reproducing a natural photosynthesis mechanism, using part of the CO2 captured to grow algae, recycling it as biomass to develop new sources of circular energy and reusing it to make bioproducts for other industries, including cosmetics, agri-food and others.

“Relying on a feasibility study carried out with the startup Blue Planet Ecosystems, we were able to calculate the efficiency of this carbon capture, which can be 20 times greater than that of a tree for an equivalent surface area,” explains Patrick Duvaut, vice-president of Université Paris-Saclay.

The biomass project, meanwhile, responds to two of today’s main challenges: food security and energy transition. “It requires close collaboration between all the players in the Essonne region in order to carry out real industrial ecology work aimed at pooling resources and reducing consumption in the region. By partnering with the Fondation Université Paris Saclay, we have the opportunity to draw on one of the world’s most prestigious scientific communities with the common goal of a circular energy economy,” adds Linda Lescuyer, innovation manager at Data4.

The Data4 group maintains datacenter operations in France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Germany and Luxembourg. By March 2024, there were 34 datacenters with a total IT facility area of 140,600 m2 and more than 843 MW of power.

In a column on the DCD website, Linda Lescuyer, from Data4, pointed out that the datacenter sector is facing a double challenge: operating in complex technological scenarios, such as that produced by the wave of Artificial Intelligence, and meeting sustainability targets to ensure adaptable, resilient and ecologically responsible businesses.

In her view, innovation plays a key role in increasing the resilience of datacenters in the face of these unpredictable circumstances, focusing on flexibility and adaptability. “It is essential to face these challenges with a sense of responsibility, recognising that resilience and adaptability are fundamental attributes in an era defined by ever-changing dynamics. And this emphasis on resilience does not prioritise mere reliability, but seeks greater adaptability to unpredictable events,” says Linda.

Another caveat is that, contrary to common perception, sustainable solutions are not necessarily more expensive. For the director of Data4, cost-effectiveness depends on a comprehensive assessment of the environmental implications. She cites the example of batteries: lead models are an industry standard solution, however other technologies, such as lithium-ion batteries, may even be more complex and expensive in the production phase, but a holistic life cycle analysis reveals a longer useful life and lower total cost of ownership.

In short, when innovating, you should not only consider initial costs, but also environmental impacts, the entire life cycle of the project, total cost of ownership and services provided to customers in a sustainable balance.

In October 2023, Data4 secured a €2.2 billion debt facility, extendable to €3.2 billion with BNP Paribas, Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking and Deutsche Bank. The amount should partially support Data4’s ambition to invest €5 billion in the current markets where it operates by the end of the decade.