Fortum Starts Heat Production Utilizing Data Centre Waste Heat in Finland
Fortum has commenced operations at two large-scale heat pump plants in Kirkkonummi and Espoo, Finland. These facilities will utilize waste heat from Microsoft data centres, significantly reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Fortum, an energy company, has begun operations at two new heat pump plants located in Kolabacken, Kirkkonummi, and Hepokorpi, Espoo. These plants are designed to significantly utilize waste heat generated by Microsoft's data centres as part of the capital region's district heating network.
The plants utilize air-to-water heat pumps and electric boilers with a capacity of up to 200 MW for heat production, along with an 800 MWh thermal storage facility. Once the waste heat from Microsoft's data centres is gradually integrated into the system starting next year, it is expected to cover approximately 40 percent of the area's annual district heating demand of 2 TWh. This will reduce Fortum's dependency on natural gas and align with municipal climate targets.
The company states that this project represents one of the world's largest waste heat solutions involving data centres. The construction costs amounted to approximately 225 million euros, and the project has received funding from the EU's NextGenerationEU program and the Finnish state. The recovery of waste heat enhances local heat production capacity and stabilizes prices.
Fortum's strategic goal is to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040. This initiative is a significant step towards emission reduction and supports the City of Espoo's carbon neutrality target by 2030.