CyrusOne’s data center heat will be reused to heat 15,000 homes in Netherlands

The Municipality of Haarlem, SADC’s PolanenPark and CyrusOne have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to examine the economic and technical feasibility of a heat re-use project in the region. This collaboration is expected to result in the successful capture of residual heat from CyrusOne’s Amsterdam I data center’s water-cooling process.

The water-cooling process will heat 15,000 homes

CyrusOne’s Amsterdam I data center’s water-cooling process will feed into a new district heating network to heat 15,000 homes in the municipality. According to the announcement, if the plan proves feasible, a new agreement to start development will be signed in the first quarter of 2021.

Matt Pullen, EVP and Managing Director, Europe, CyrusOne, said,

“It is crucial that we build data centers that work in a way that is compatible with a sustainable future. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified demand for data center capacity, as consumers become more reliant on digital tools for remote working, learning and entertainment. The signing of this MoU is a hugely significant progression for the data center industry, and we hope this is the first of many instances in which local government bodies and landowners, such as the Municipality of Haarlem and SADC’s PolanenPark, demonstrate the commitment to work together with CyrusOne on similar sustainable projects.”

The heat re-use process

Haarlem is committed to becoming natural gas-free by 2040. The partnership marries the Municipality of Haarlem’s pledge with CyrusOne’s stated commitment to be a strategic partner for sustainability. CyrusOne will capture heat from its Amsterdam I data center at an average temperature of 30°C. A mechanism will increase the temperature of the water flowing into the system and also minimize the temperature of the water returning to the data center.

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