Heat Harvest: Leveraging Data Centre Surplus for Sustainable Industry
Every day, significant resources are squandered due to unutilized surplus heat, commonly known as waste heat. Data centers exemplify this issue as power-intensive facilities that generate substantial surplus heat, which often remains untapped. Despite the immense heat output, little is done to harness it, primarily due to the low temperature of the heat emitted, presenting a challenge in its utilization.
Let’s turn the tables on wasted heat from data centers. Instead of letting it dissipate, why not use it to fuel industry and spark job growth? With existing technology, we can efficiently capture this surplus heat and repurpose it for industrial processes. It’s time to think smart and harness this heat for meaningful progress.
Surplus heat from a data centre typically maintains temperatures around 35 – 50oC. Such heat is difficult to utilise directly. By using industrial heat pumps already in use in Norway and abroad, surplus heat can be converted into process heat up to 200oC. This type of thermal energy is valuable and widely used in industrial processes, such as the food industry, distillation processes in the chemical industry, or the drying of fish and animal feed.
When large data centers spring up in Norwegian municipalities, the conversation often revolves around the potential job opportunities they bring. Imagine an industrial park adjacent to a data center, capable of supplying process heat reaching temperatures of up to 200°C. Such a setup would undoubtedly be appealing, attracting additional industrial ventures. By fostering industries linked to data centers, we could generate a multitude of jobs, surpassing the employment potential of the data center alone. Moreover, by tapping into surplus heat, we can achieve circular energy utilization—a critical objective highlighted by policymakers. This aligns with the imperative need for extensive electrification to facilitate our transition towards a greener future.
The use of industrial heat pumps can be a triple win for energy saving. In an article in DN (Dagens Næringsliv- a Norwegian business-focused newspaper) on March 1st this year, research director at Sintef, Petter Egil Røkke, writes that all the electricity used in a data centre becomes heat, and further, that 25% of the power used by the data centre goes to cooling this heat. Cooling is a by-product of a heat pump. By using industrial heat pumps, you get both process heat and cooling for the data centre, in addition to other industrial jobs.
However, as Røkke accurately highlights, public authorities should employ both incentives and sanctions to ensure that companies requiring heat are located alongside businesses possessing substantial heat surpluses, incorporating a cost-benefit analysis for the utilization of surplus heat.
We don’t need to let Google waste heat in Skien, as Røkke fears. If we use Sintef’s calculations on Google’s planned data centre establishment in Skien, 25% of the energy will be used for cooling. This means that the mentioned heat pumps could have reduced 25% of the power consumption. That is a lot of valuable power saved. This way, we can avoid Google’s facility in Skien becoming an energy drain.
The technology stands ready, awaiting the determination to deploy it. Municipalities hosting data centers hold the key to a critical choice. Embracing this technology means embracing efficiency and resourcefulness. Anything less would be a misstep—both financially and environmentally. The choice is clear: let’s seize the opportunity to harness valuable power, paving the way for a smarter, more sustainable future.
Advancing Energy: Olvondo Tech at Energimässan 2024!
Explore the forefront of sustainable energy solutions at Energimässan 2024, where Olvondo Technology will be exhibiting from the 22nd-23rd May! This exhibition at Kistamässan in Stockholm, Sweden, gathers over 250 industry-leading exhibitors, providing the latest information and proven solutions for carbon-neutral and renewable energy production, energy efficiency, energy self-sufficiency and security, and energy recycling. Engage with a wide array of actors from across the energy sector, and join the conversation driving towards a greener, more sustainable future.
Make sure to visit us at booth E:19, where we’ll be showcasing our innovative high temperature heat pump, the HighLift, and demonstrating how it can help you achieve your climate objectives.
We look forward to meeting you there!
Empowering Sustainability: Olvondo Technology signs agreement with Tetra Pak
Olvondo Technology is delighted to have signed an agreement with Tetra Pak, a world-leading food processing and packaging solutions company. Working closely with customers and suppliers around the world, Tetra Pak provides safe, innovative, and environmentally sound products that each day meet the needs of hundreds of millions of people in more than 160 countries. This collaboration is a testament to the groundbreaking innovation offered by Olvondo Technology- the HighLift heat pump. The heat pump technology plays a pivotal role in decarbonization efforts by efficiently recycling thermal energy, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and minimizing carbon emissions in industrial processes.
The agreement encompasses a service and equipment purchase arrangement for Tetra Pak’s clientele, aligning with the integration of our HighLift heat pump into their advanced processing equipment. This collaborative effort reflects our commitment to advancing sustainability initiatives within the global food and beverage sector and matches Tetra Pak’s ambition to enable customers to reduce their environmental footprint through optimised energy solutions.
A key objective of this collaboration is to prioritize customer-centric initiatives for environmentally conscious practices and improved energy efficiency. Together, we are committed to empowering our customers to adopt environmentally sustainable solutions, driving positive change in the food and beverage industry.
This strategic agreement signifies a pivotal move towards industry-wide decarbonization. By pooling our strengths, we’ll deliver innovative solutions prioritizing customer needs and championing sustainability, aiming to set new industry standards. This collaboration fosters change and inspires, reshaping the food and beverage industry to empower customers in a climate-conscious world.
Olvondo Technology looks forward to collaborating with Tetra Pak to advance climate initiatives and sustainability in the food and beverage industry. Together, our collaboration aims to be a beacon of change, driving toward a greener, more sustainable future for the planet.
Olvondo Technology Partners with AdTherM for Sustainable Thermal Innovation
Olvondo Technology is pleased to announce our partnership with AdTherM, for a project dedicated to advancing thermal processes in industry. AdTherM focuses on improving experiments and models to develop thermal industrial systems. The goal is to establish a knowledge-based process for sustainable energy conversion, heat management, and energy recovery. This collaboration aims to drive innovation in manufacturing processes, with Olvondo Technology contributing expertise in high-temperature industrial heat pumps. Stay connected for the latest updates on our AdTherM journey!
Norwegian Olvondo with international breakthrough
Norwegian Olvondo with international breakthrough – enters into collaboration with Dutch multinational dairy company
Olvondo Technology has developed a unique heat pump technology that helps to cut greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs. The company is now installing an innovative heat pump in one of the factories of Royal FrieslandCampina, a Dutch multinational dairy company owned by a dairy farmer cooperative, to pilot its latest generation of the HighLift heat pump.
“The agreement with FrieslandCampina is a great recognition of our technology, which we have been working for several years to develop. Together with FrieslandCampina, we have a project to demonstrate de-carbonization of process heat in dairies using steam generating heat pumps. The project is part of the Research Council of Norway’s regional implementation project and is part of the solution to the climate crisis,” says Stefano Vittor, CEO of Olvondo Technology.
Dairy company FrieslandCampina employs more than 20,000 people around the globe and has a strong presence in European, Asian and sub-Saharan African markets, in addition to the Americas. The company operates in both consumer goods and B2B markets, where products range from infant nutrition, to cheese, fresh dairy and ingredients for the pharmaceutical industry.
- Olvondo entered a collaboration with FrieslandCampina to pilot its latest generation of the HighLift heat pump. The selected site is in Maasdam, a factory producing fresh dairy, such as yoghurts, drinks, quarks, and custards. The building is now ready and installation of the heat pump has started. “This novel heat pump fits very well in the utility set-up of our factory, using waste heat as a primary source.” says Peter Huisman, Program Manager at FrieslandCampina. The HighLift Heat pump technology plays a key role in Maasdam, allowing it to significantly increase production volumes whilst reducing both energy usage and CO2 emissions with approximately 25%. The aim is to be fully operational early 2024, both parties are eagerly awaiting the results. “Heat pumps are a key element of FrieslandCampina’s decarbonisation efforts. We have been working with Olvondo for a while now and are impressed by the broad temperature ranges in which this technology can operate. This technology thus fits perfectly in our strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our production process and to avert rising energy costs. FrieslandCampina has set a target of 63% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2015 in production and milk transport.”, says Gerrit Westhoff, Global Supply Chain Sustainability Director at Friesland Campina.
Åbo Academy in Finland is supporting the project through developing a methodology for assessment and documentation of environmental impact from de-carbonization from industry processes using heat pumps.
The HighLift by Olvondo heat pump is one of the first steam generating heat pumps now commercially available in the market. The technology is gaining interest from companies world-wide. Pioneers like FrieslandCampina, focusing on innovation, deserves their credit for going in the forefront by deploying new technologies in order to reduce carbon emissions, concludes Vittor.