Proposed Data Center Near Paris to Repurpose Waste Heat for Agriculture

Proposed Data Center Near Paris to Repurpose Waste Heat for Agriculture January 26, 2026 A novel data center project proposed for a site south of Paris exemplifies the growing industry imperative to address energy efficiency and community integration by transforming waste heat into a valuable resource for local agriculture. The project, planned for the former Thomson cathode ray tube factory site in Bagneaux-sur-Loing, involves a collaboration between developer Essor Group and renewable energy investment firm Theia Energy. Abandoning an earlier plan for 200 residential and commercial units, the partners are proposing a 20,720-square-meter (223,028-square-foot) data center facility. A key innovation of the plan is the direct reuse of the data center's waste heat. The thermal output is earmarked to warm an adjacent 5,500-square-meter (59,201-square-foot) greenhouse for tomato cultivation and a separate fish farming operation. Paris-based architecture firm Silvio d'Ascia, known for its global data center portfolio, is designing the facility to incorporate the existing factory chimneys and structure. The shift from housing to a data center has reportedly been welcomed by local officials, a notable departure from common community concerns. Mayor Claude Jamet told local media that existing schools are already at capacity and local infrastructure could not support a large residential influx. "If we had 200 new homes, we wouldn't have been able to expand the schools. We simply don't have the space," Jamet stated. The project signals a broader trend in the data center sector toward circular economy models, where byproduct heat is no longer seen as waste but as an asset. By directly supporting food production, such initiatives aim to improve sustainability metrics, reduce overall environmental impact, and foster stronger, more symbiotic relationships with host communities. Source: datacenterdynamics