Challenge
Data centres generate significant amounts of low-grade heat, which is often wasted because it is difficult to use directly (especially when heat production and demand are seasonally mismatched).
THUNDER aims to transform this waste heat into a valuable energy source by developing seasonal thermal storage solutions based on thermochemical materials, combined with high-temperature heat pumps and integration with district heating networks.
The goal is to recover heat from data centres, store it during periods of low demand, and reuse it later for urban heating, reducing energy waste, fossil fuel consumption, and CO₂ emissions.
Applied expertise
RINA contributes to THUNDER as both project coordinator and technical partner, covering activities from strategic management to technical validation and market replication.
We lead the
development of system modelling and optimisation algorithms to support the design and optimisation of the integrated energy system, combining data centre waste heat recovery, seasonal thermal storage, heat pumps, and district heating.
We also support the planning,
deployment, commissioning, and monitoring of the THUNDER solution at the demo site in
Varna (Bulgaria).
In addition, we bring strong expertise in sustainability and life-cycle assessment, contributing to KPI definition, environmental and economic assessment methodologies, and LCA/LCC analyses. This ensures the solution is evaluated in terms of
environmental performance, economic viability, and long-term sustainability.
Finally, we support scalability and replication by conducting techno-economic feasibility studies for new sites and assessing alignment with the
EU Taxonomy, enabling future investment and market uptake.
Impact
THUNDER will deliver a validated and replicable solution for recovering waste heat from urban data centres and reusing it within district heating networks.
The solution will be demonstrated in Varna, Bulgaria, where it will be validated under real field conditions. In parallel, the project carries out replicability studies in 10 additional locations to assess how the THUNDER concept can be adapted to different local contexts, supporting future scale-up and market uptake.
Key benefits include:
- providing business models, feasibility studies, exploitation plans, and EU Taxonomy alignment to support informed investment decisions;
- creating opportunities to reduce energy costs, improve efficiency, and generate value from unused thermal resources;
- contributing to decarbonisation, lower CO₂ emissions, reduced reliance on fossil fuels, and more sustainable urban energy systems.
Overall, THUNDER helps transform data centres from energy-intensive infrastructures into active contributors to clean local heating systems.
