Data centers and district heating, the circular heat ecosystem is born in Milan

This system allows you to transform a by-product of data processing into a resource ready for transport through urban pipelines. When fully operational, the initiative will allow the recovery of approximately 225 GWh/year, increasing the share of decarbonised heat distributed in the Milanese network by 20%, with the capacity to satisfy the heating needs of over 21,000 homes and avoid the emission of 345,000 tonnes of CO₂.

As noted by Adaire Fox-Martin, CEO and Chairman of Equinix: “Equinix has a long and strong history of aligning the needs of our business with those of the communities that host our company. The collaboration with A2A is a clear example of how essential digital infrastructures and local sustainability objectives can work in synergy. By making the thermal energy produced by our activities available to homes and local residents, we eliminate waste and lead Milan towards a low-carbon future”.

“Excess heat is a byproduct of the computing power needed for digital transformation and artificial intelligence, but when we redistribute it to the areas around our data centers, we can create enormous value for communities by reducing the overall energy needed to heat the land.”, declared Emanuela Grandi, Managing Director of Equinix Italia. “We are very proud of Equinix’s efforts and achievements in leading the way in data center heat exports to Europe and are applying the lessons learned from our successes to Italy, helping to create a market for data center heat that can significantly support the country’s decarbonisation targets. At a dimensional level, we expect this initiative in Italy to become one of the largest heat export projects from data centers in Europe outside the Nordic countries. The expansion of the district heating network towards iconic areas such as the Duomo and Palazzo Reale confirms the objective of making the heat recovered from data centers a structural component of urban energy resilience, outlining a circular economy model applicable at a national level.”

Renato Mazzoncini, CEO of A2A declared: “Data centers represent strategic infrastructures for the competitiveness of the country system and for supporting the digital transformation of the economy. Their growth requires models capable of combining technological innovation, energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. From this perspective, heat recovery constitutes a fundamental lever for maximizing the value of digital hubs and accelerating the decarbonisation path of cities. The collaboration with Equinix fits fully into our strategy of developing an integrated ecosystem in which energy, infrastructure and innovation operate synergistically. Through the investments envisaged in the Plan to 2035 and thanks to the industrial skills of the Group, we intend to make our contribution to a strategic supply chain for Italy, while generating economic, environmental and social value for the territories”.