Says it is a step towards creating biocircular data centers.
French data center operator Data4 has unveiled a new heat recovery system that uses warmth from one of its data centers to grow algae.
Working with the Fondation de l’Université Paris Saclay, Data4 has installed the proof-of-concept module on the roof of a data center at its Marcoussis campus outside Paris.
The company says the technology could pave the way for a new generation of bio-circular data centers, with the algae produced having a variety of potential uses, including as biofuel, animal feed, and as a dietary supplement for humans.
First announced last year, the project uses a microalgae which has an absorption capacity 20 times greater than trees for an equivalent surface. Heat and water from the data center cooling system are piped into the module, with CO2 injected separately. The algae is then pumped around the tubes, enabling photosynthesis to occur and more algae to grow, which can then be harvested.
Data4 says the system is a closed-loop, meaning there is no danger of it damaging the data center’s cooling equipment in the event of a fault. It intends to acquire CO2 produced in industrial processes to help grow the algae, and says that, using the modules, a single data center could capture 13 tons of CO2 per year.
How much algae is produced depends on factors such as the climate of a data center location. The next stage of the project is to develop an algal module that can be attached to data center walls, with the goal of scaling up to produce 20kg of algae and capture 36kg of CO2 daily.
Data4 and Fondation de l’Université Paris-Saclay worked with a multidisciplinary team of experts, including startup Blue Planet Ecosystems and local authority the Conseil Départemental de l’Essonne, to build the module.
“Nearly 18TWh of energy are available in our data centers in France, but are currently unused,” said Linda Lescuyer, Data4’s head of innovation.
“Through this project, we aim to transform this heat into energy. Thanks to the biocircular data center module, we have the opportunity to create a new ecological and economic resource for the region, and therefore jobs, that can develop with the data centers.”
