UK district heating networks seek data centers for waste heat
Several planned UK district heating networks seek to harness the waste heat generated by data centers, according to government plans to harness excess server heat, compiled by the Data Center Dynamics platform.
The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has released a list of district heating networks under development across the country that have applied for funding and support from three of its programs.
District heating systems use a single heat source to heat multiple buildings through a network of pipes, which can result in lower bills and reduced carbon emissions.
A project document released by DESNZ states: “The opportunities present a wide range of projects supported in the development stages by the Heat Network Delivery Unit (HNDU), projects seeking capital support from the Heat Network Investment Project (HNIP), and projects that have applied for the Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF) Transition Scheme.”
District heating networks with server heat
Among the projects that have received funding from the GHNF program is the North Crawley Heat Network, promoted by Hemiko, a heat network specialist. This project will harness waste heat from Gatwick Airport and a data center in nearby Manor Royal, with the goal of supplying 46 GWh of energy to homes in North Crawley. Although the data center has not been identified, Digital Realty has a facility located at Manor Royal. The project could be underway by 2027, with construction planned for next year.
The government is also supporting the Hemiko project in London, which will provide heat to 9,000 homes under construction in the Old Oak and Park Royal area, as well as the Tyseley Heat Network, where the company is working in Birmingham. This project will harness heat from a 2.5 MW data center, providing 16.2 GWh per year to heat 21 buildings.
Durham University, for its part, is looking to heat its buildings by reusing heat from its 1.5 MW data center and could use old mining tunnels beneath the university campus to store heat for the system. Construction could begin next year.
A larger, early-stage project by the utility Eon seeks to use heat from three unidentified data centers to heat seven residential complexes. The volume of heat to be generated has not been specified, but the complexes will require 31.1 GWh of energy.
Meanwhile, data center provider Deep Green, known for using heat from its data centers to heat swimming pools, is working with the Paddington Village District Energy Network in Liverpool to decarbonize its heating network, replacing its current gas system with a heat pump that will harness waste heat from a Deep Green deployment.
Data center-based district heating is already a well-established practice across Europe, with the Nordic regions, in particular, at the forefront of its development. Stockholm Data Parks is a notable example of an urban data center campus in Stockholm, where each facility is connected to the city’s district heating network. In Germany, new data centers must make their waste heat available to local heating networks.
Reinva’s Experience in Heat Networks
Reinva supplies and commissions combustion equipment for district heating networks designed by the Spahish manufacturer E&M Combustion. The company has implemented this technology in countries in Northern Europe, as well as in Eastern Europe and China. For Reinva, together with energy independence and the growing contribution of sustainable fuels, this represents a commitment to decarbonization and also offers improved performance for this type of district heating.
