AirJoule Technologies has entered a collaboration with the Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers (NZIH) to explore the integration of data center waste heat into heat-to-water systems, marking a step forward in the industry's push toward circular resource use.
Under the agreement, the partners will assess how heat-to-water technology could support future resource-efficient data center operations and broader heat reuse strategies. The collaboration will test AirJoule's proprietary system, which converts low-grade waste heat into usable water through a thermodynamic process designed to interface with industrial and infrastructure environments. The technology relies on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a class of porous polymers known for their strong binding properties and high surface area, making them well-suited to capture water molecules from ambient heat streams.
“When we joined the Net Zero Start-Up Hub earlier this year, our objective was to move AirJoule from demonstration toward deployment inside a working data center. This collaboration delivers on that objective. By installing an AirJoule Prime system at a Hub member site, we will validate how waste heat from data centers can be converted into a usable water resource at commercial scale,” said Matt Jore, CEO of AirJoule Technologies.
The initiative is part of the NZIH's wider heat-to-X workstream, which investigates alternative ways to create value from the heat generated by data centers. AirJoule was part of the hub's first cohort of start-ups selected for support.
“Not all data centers have access to district heating infrastructure, which is why we need to explore other ways to create value from the heat they generate,” said Alberto Ravagni, CEO of the Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers. “Through our heat-to-X workstream, we are working with AirJoule and our members to validate heat-to-water as one potential pathway for turning otherwise untapped heat into a useful resource and creating positive impact for communities beyond the data center fence.”
The NZIH is a pan-European, industry-led initiative launched in September 2023 and headquartered in Fredericia, Denmark. Its membership includes major data center operators such as Google, Microsoft, and Data4. The hub functions as a proving ground for operators to test, de-risk, and accelerate green energy, cooling, and backup technologies. In November 2024, the hub issued a request for information (RFI) to support the deployment of low-carbon substitutes for diesel backup generators in data centers.
The pilot reflects a growing industry focus on heat reuse as a means to improve sustainability performance, particularly in regions where district heating networks are limited. If successful, the technology could offer data center operators a new avenue to convert waste heat into a tangible resource, reducing both water consumption and thermal waste in one integrated solution.
AirJoule and NZIH Partner to Pilot Waste Heat-to-Water Conversion in Data Centers
By: IDCNOVARegion: East Asia