Data centre set to heat world’s largest RAS trout farm

Waste heat from a data centre in Norway will be used to help power what will be the world’s largest land-based trout farm. Hima Seafood has struck a deal with Green Mountain, the Norwegian colocation company which runs the centre, which will significantly reduce the farm’s carbon footprint.

“Colocation” centres provide a secure site and cooling facilities for their clients, who will typically install and run their own servers on the site. Green Mountain’s DC2-Telemark site at Rjukan, Norway, will be connected by a pipe to the Hima farm, only 800 metres away, allowing heated water to be pumped to it.

Heat exchanger technology will then ensure that the Hima facility can use the energy from the water to obtain the correct water temperature in their RAS solution. The same water is subsequently returned to Green Mountain. The water now holds a lower temperature which can be used in the cooling of the data centre – creating a truly circular project, Green Mountain said.

Construction of the new RAS (recirculating aquaculture system) farm started this year and it is expected to produce 9,000 tonnes annually when complete.

Hima Seafood has entered into a collaboration with Osland Havbruk AS for roe deliveries to the facility. The trout strain to be used in Rjukan is the Osland strain, which Osland has developed since 1963.

Hima Farm Director Joe McElwee said: “Ensuring a consistent and stable water temperature for our fish is key to producing a world-class product. Superior product quality and environmental sustainability are not just slogans for us, they are part of Hima’s DNA.”

Green Mountain CEO Tor Kristian Gyland said: “Data centres are undoubtably very energy consuming. Although our data centres run on 100% renewable hydropower, we do not like to waste the energy. This project is a breakthrough example of circular economy – where the output of one company can benefit another with an environmental benefit on top. Our vision is ‘setting the green standard’ and this project truly supports this.”