How atNorth's Data Centre will Heat Thousands of Homes

atNorth has signed an agreement with Vestforbrænding to supply excess heat from its DEN01 data centre in Ballerup, Greater Copenhagen, into the region's district heating network.

From 2028, warm water generated through direct liquid cooling will be routed into Vestforbrænding's infrastructure, providing heat for more than 8,000 homes.

The arrangement aligns with Denmark's ambitious climate targets and offers a model for how data centres can be integrated into sustainable urban systems.

DEN01 is a 22.5 MW metro campus scheduled to open in early 2026, and the agreement forms part of atNorth's strategy to embed heat reuse into new sites as demand for high-density, AI-ready infrastructure increases.

Circular resource management through liquid cooling

The heat supplied to Vestforbrænding will be produced as a byproduct of DEN01's Direct Liquid Cooling system.

This approach improves thermal efficiency inside the facility and provides a consistent source of warm water suitable for district heating networks.

By capturing what would otherwise be wasted energy, the partnership transforms a liability into an asset, reducing the overall environmental footprint of both digital infrastructure and residential heating.

The companies expect the process to reduce carbon emissions for both partners, as recycled heat will offset energy that would otherwise be required to fuel domestic heating.

Supporting Denmark's climate objectives

Denmark aims to reach net zero by 2045, with a 110% emissions reduction target by 2050.

District heating plays a key role in the national strategy and the government is phasing out the use of coal in the sector.

Heat reuse from data centres aligns with Denmark's broader circular economy goals, making the DEN01 project a fit within national policy frameworks designed to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.

Vestforbrænding is expanding its district heating network as part of its 2030 plan, which includes replacing oil and gas boilers in thousands of households.

The company has identified surplus heat sources as an important element of that roadmap, recognising that waste heat recovery can contribute meaningfully to decarbonising domestic heating infrastructure.

"For many years, we have talked about surplus heat from data centres being part of the future," says Steen Neuchs Vedel, CEO of Vestforbrænding.

"Now the future is here. With today's contract signing, we are showing the way forward for how surplus heat from data centres can reach people's homes.

"There has also been talk about sector coupling in the district heating sector – today we demonstrate how this can happen in practice, to the benefit of consumers."

Regional heat recovery strategy

The DEN01 agreement supports atNorth's wider approach to integrating heat reuse into its data centre portfolio.

The company positions heat recovery as one component of its broader operational model, which includes renewable power sourcing, efficient site design and engagement with local communities to minimise environmental impact.

"As the demand for AI-ready digital infrastructure continues to increase, it is imperative that data centre companies scale in a responsible way", says Eyjólfur Magnús Kristinsson, CEO of atNorth.

"By actively seeking heat reuse partnerships for our data centres, we can mitigate our environmental impact, benefit the communities in which we operate and help clients decarbonise their IT workloads".

atNorth has also partnered with Wa3rm to reuse heat from its DEN02 site to support circular agriculture projects, including vegetable production near the facility.

In Finland, atNorth has a similar arrangement with Kesko Corporation, where heat from the FIN02 data centre is recycled to warm a neighbouring store.

atNorth continues to expand its presence across the region, operating eight data centres in the Nordics, with a ninth under construction in Kouvola, Finland and a tenth planned for Ølgod, Denmark.

The company has also secured land for a future mega site in Sollefteå Municipality in Sweden.