How Equinix Turns Data Centre Heat into Milan City Heating

What could help heat one of Milan's most iconic landmarks?

Surprisingly, the answer could be a data centre.

Equinix and A2A are capturing waste heat from servers and feeding it into Milan's district heating network, adding a new source of energy to the system that already warms buildings including the Duomo and Palazzo Reale.

The result is a project that gives digital infrastructure a new purpose beyond compute.

Heat generated by servers will be captured and exported to a new A2A Energy Center before being distributed across Milan.

When fully operational, the scheme is expected to become one of Europe's largest data centre heat export projects outside the Nordic region.

“Equinix has a long and proud history of aligning the needs of our business with the needs of the communities we call home," says Adaire Fox-Martin, CEO and President of Equinix.

“Our collaboration with A2A is a clear example of how essential digital infrastructure and local sustainability goals can work in service of each other.

“By putting thermal energy from our operations to use for local homes and residents, we're eliminating waste and moving Milan toward a low-carbon future.”

Turning server heat into city energy

The project is built around recovering the thermal energy created by servers operating inside Equinix's facilities, which then becomes an energy source that feeds Milan's district heating system.

Equinix will design and manage the infrastructure needed to export heat from its campus, working with customers whose IT equipment generates the thermal energy inside the facilities.

A2A is constructing an Energy Center close to the site that receives the recovered heat.

From there, four large-scale heat pumps with a combined capacity of 72MW increase its temperature before it enters the district heating network.

The facility also includes two thermal storage systems with a total capacity of 6,000 cubic metres alongside the infrastructure needed to transport the energy across the city.

Once complete, the project is expected to recover up to 225GWh of thermal energy each year.

According to the companies, this increases the heat supplied through A2A's Milan district heating network by around 20%, providing enough energy to heat more than 21,000 homes.

Emanuela Grandi, Managing Director of Equinix Italy, says: “We are very proud of the efforts and achievements Equinix has done in blazing a trail for data centre heat export in Europe and we’re applying learnings from our successes to our efforts in Italy, helping create a market for data centre heat that can greatly contribute to the decarbonisation targets of the overall country.

“By scale, this initiative in Italy is expected to become among the largest data-center heat-export project in Europe outside the Nordics.”

Building a circular model for data centres

Heat reuse is becoming an important consideration as operators look for ways to improve data centre efficiency while supporting wider sustainability goals.

Noah Nkonge, Heat Export Lead at Equinix, explains: “In a few words, we will create a process to capture and convert residual heat into a form suitable for other uses within the community.

“Heat export, rather than letting that heat go to waste, is a method for collecting and reusing it in communities near data centres, with the support of energy operators.

“By capturing and distributing heat generated in data centers, we will be creating a circular economy – reusing materials and products as much as possible to reduce waste and make the most efficient use of valuable resources, like electricity and heat.

The project also expands A2A's district heating network, allowing recovered heat to reach a broad area of Milan, from the city centre to surrounding districts.

Existing customers on the network already include landmarks such as the Duomo and Palazzo Reale.

Data centres become part of urban infrastructure

Equinix and A2A estimate the initiative will avoid more than 345,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions while reducing demand for conventional heating sources.

They also say the environmental benefit is equivalent to the annual carbon absorption of around 220,000 trees.

Renato Mazzoncini, CEO of A2A, says: “Data centres are strategic infrastructure for the competitiveness of the Country 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 is a key lever for maximising the value of digital hubs and accelerating the decarbonisation of cities.

“The collaboration with Equinix is fully aligned with our strategy to develop an integrated ecosystem where energy, infrastructure and innovation operate synergistically.

“Through the investments outlined in the 2035 Plan and thanks to the Group’s industrial expertise, we intend to contribute to a strategic sector for Italy, while simultaneously generating economic, environmental and social value for local communities.”