A2A enters the data centre market, forming an alliance with US giant Equinix in Milan

A2A has officially entered the data centre sector. Having announced last November that it would invest 1.6 billion in the sector as part of its 2035 plan – potentially acting either as a direct infrastructure developer or as an energy partner – the group led by Renato Mazzoncini has announced its first major initiative following the pilot project in Brescia. This initiative will take shape through the launch of a partnership between A2A and Equinix, which is listed on the Nasdaq and operates globally in the field of digital infrastructure, aimed at recovering and utilising the heat generated by data centres, which will be integrated into the district heating network of the city of Milan.

The project, in which A2A will act as an enabler and energy partner thanks to its dual role as operator of both the electricity grid and the district heating network, represents one of the most significant circular economy initiatives applied to in Italia. Essentially, it involves recovering the thermal energy produced by the servers housed at the Equinix campus in Settimo Milanese (on the outskirts of the city) – an infrastructure that is constantly expanding – and transforming it into an energy resource for the benefit of the local area. Naturally, A2A will be responsible for managing the heat generated by the data centres, which, from being a ‘side effect’ of processing billions of data points, will be transformed into a resource, as it will be used to power Milan’s district heating system.

To achieve this, A2A will build an Energy Centre near the site, featuring four large-scale heat pumps with a total capacity of 72 MW, two thermal storage systems with a capacity of 6,000 cubic metres and infrastructure dedicated to transporting thermal energy to the district heating network. Once fully operational, the project will enable the recovery of approximately 225 GWh/year of thermal energy, helping to increase the heat distributed via the A2A Group’s Milan district heating network by around 20 per cent. The recovered energy will be sufficient to meet the heating needs of over 21,000 homes, preventing the emission of over 345,000 tonnes of CO₂ — equivalent to the CO₂ absorption capacity of around 220,000 trees — thereby generating a significant environmental benefit for the city.

At the same time, A2A will extend its district heating network, enabling the distribution of heat recovered from data centres across a large area of the city, from the city centre to the outskirts, including such iconic Milanese landmarks as the Duomo and Palazzo Reale, which are already supplied with district heating by the Group.

“Data centres are strategic infrastructure for the competitiveness of the national economy and for supporting the digital transformation of the economy. Their growth requires models capable of combining technological innovation, energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. In this context, heat recovery is a key driver for maximising the value of digital hubs and accelerating the decarbonisation of cities,” said Renato Mazzoncini, Chief Executive Officer of A2A. “Our partnership with Equinix is fully in line with our strategy to develop an integrated ecosystem in which energy, infrastructure and innovation operate synergistically. Through the investments set out in the 2035 Plan and thanks to the Group’s industrial expertise, we intend to contribute to a strategic sector for Italia, whilst generating economic, environmental and social value for local communities.”