Queen Mary University of London has implemented a refurbishment at its Tier II data centre to repurpose waste heat, as part of the university’s carbon reduction efforts.

Since October, the heat generated by the data centre, which supports computing for CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, has been re-used to warm the Joseph Priestley Building and the district heating system at the university’s Mile End campus. The project was carried out in partnership with Schneider Electric, PCH Engineers, BTU Installation and Maintenance, and Advanced Power Technology (APT).

The refurbishment utilises a multi-stage heat recovery process to convert waste heat into water temperatures between 65°C and 75°C. This recovered energy is then fed into the university’s district heating network, to reduce the reliance on gas boilers. The initiative, developed by Lead Engineer Timothy Lee, is expected to reduce the university’s Scope 1 emissions by 625 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually, with a net reduction of approximately 553 tonnes when accounting for a slight increase in electricity-related emissions.

The refurbishment also increased the data centre’s capacity by 33%, allowing it to support 39 racks with an average of 10 KW per rack.

Philippa Lloyd, Vice-Principal for Policy and Strategic Partnerships, stated, “This project represents a major step forward in Queen Mary University of London’s commitment to sustainability.”

Professor Jonathan Hays, Head of the Particle Physics Research Centre, added, “The refurbishment enables us to fulfil our commitments as a reliable partner in the worldwide computing grid for the Large Hadron Collider. With this modernised infrastructure, we can continue to deliver on our responsibilities while ensuring the centre remains sustainable and future-ready.”