Heat on Wheels Concept: Enabling Data Centre Waste Heat Use Without Direct District Heating Connection

THUNDER is an EU-funded project developing sustainable waste heat recovery and seasonal thermal energy storage solutions for data centres in urban environments. By recovering excess heat and supplying it to district heating and cooling (DHC) networks while providing efficient cooling for data centres, THUNDER aims to transform waste heat into a valuable local energy resource.

One of the key barriers to wider deployment of data centre waste heat recovery is the lack of a direct connection between data centres and district heating infrastructure. In many urban settings, physical distance, limited space, or existing infrastructure constraints make conventional integration technically or economically unfeasible.

Join this webinar to discover the Heat on Wheels concept, an innovative approach being developed within the THUNDER project to overcome these challenges. Based on mobile thermal energy storage using phase change materials (PCM), the concept enables upgraded waste heat to be transported from data centres to district heating networks without requiring a direct pipeline connection. This flexible approach opens new opportunities for utilising waste heat and expanding its contribution to Europe's clean energy transition.

The webinar will present the technical concept behind Heat on Wheels, followed by an assessment of its investment relevance, system integration, and replication potential across different European markets. Participants will also learn how a similar approach is already being demonstrated in the WATER HORIZON project, where mobile sorption thermal energy storage is used to transport industrial waste heat and provide cooling services, offering valuable insights into real-world implementation.

In addition, the session will explore the business and ownership models needed to support the deployment of mobile thermal energy storage solutions and facilitate collaboration between data centre operators, district heating companies, and other stakeholders.

Whether you are a district heating operator, data centre professional, energy utility, technology provider or researcher, this webinar will provide practical insights into how mobile thermal energy storage can unlock waste heat recovery in locations where direct infrastructure connections are not possible, enabling wider adoption of sustainable heating solutions across Europe.

Agenda:

11:00 - 11:05 Introduction (Laura Junasová, Project Manager, Euroheat & Power)

11:05 - 11:20 Heat on Wheels concept for data centre waste heat recovery (Stefano Barberis, Senior Mechanical Engineer, UNIGE)

• The THUNDER project is exploring the Heat on Wheels concept based on PCM thermal storage. You will learn how it enables transport of upgraded waste heat from data centres to district heating systems, where a direct connection was not feasible.

11:20 - 11:40 Mobile TES for heat and cooling supply (Mirella Berry, Innovation manager, Water Horizon)

• The Heat on Wheels concept is completely new. It has already being developed in the WATER HORIZON project, where it is based on sorption thermal energy storage, enabling flexible transport of industrial waste heat and cooling demand.

11:40 - 12:00 Integration Assessment , Investment Relevance & Replication Potential Across Europe (Marina Aparicio Peña, Energy Innovation Project Manager, Veolia)

12:00 - 12:20 Business and Ownership models (Burcu Ünlütürk, Project Manager, International Business, IVL)

12:20 - 12:30 Q&A and closing discussion (all)