Varde
Reusing data centre waste heat for vegetable production in greenhouses
Together with atNorth, a leading Nordic data centre developer, WA3RM plans to develop a new project in the municipality of Varde on the Danish west coast. The data centre campus, called DEN02, will have an initial capacity of 250MW and excess heat from the site will be recycled with WA3RM as part of a state-of-the-art greenhouse development for vegetable production. The total area for the data centre and greenhouse project covers 174 hectares.
Later this year we will begin to work on the second greenhouse. Paired with Greenhouse 1 this will provide a big boost to Sweden’s domestic production of tomatoes, reaching a total of around 17,000 tonnes of annual production – about every fifth tomato eaten in Sweden.
Varde Project
Pre-study phase
Anchor industry
Data center
Waste stream
Heat
Application
Greenhouse
Vegetable
TBD
Greenhouse size
30 – 40 ha
Investment (€)
123
Production start
TBD
Later this year we will begin to work on Greenhouse 2. Paired with Greenhouse 1 this will provide a big boost to Sweden’s domestic production of tomatoes, reaching a total of around 17,000 tons of annual production – about every fifth tomato eaten in Sweden.
Vegetable production in modern greenhouses using residual heat addresses many of the problems that exist in today's food production around the world, such as water scarcity and emissions from fossil fuel heating.
A project like this can redefine the Nordic food landscape. By slashing emissions from heating and transportation and, dramatically reducing water consumption, this initiative represents a more responsible approach to food production.
Sources: McKinsey & Company, The energy transition: A region-by-region agenda for near-term action, December 15, 2022.UN World Water Development Report 2023 Ipcc:fao/WHO. Global Data, 2022 https://www.unesco.org/reports/wwdr/2023/en/food-and-agriculture
1/3
of global CO2-emissions comes from food production
56 %
more food needed by 2050 to feed 10 billion people
72 %
of fresh water withdrawal comes from agriculture
How it works
Vegetable production using waste heat
With a surplus of renewable energy in the area, and a perfect position to shorten distance from farm to fork, Varde municipality has the potential to grow a new center for vegetable production.
Increasing domestic food production reduces export dependency and makes the food system more resilient.
Growing near the end consumer and heating the greenhouse with residual heat instead of oil or gas help avoid emissions.
This project will create new jobs the associated benefits that come with that for both individuals and communities.
Compared to growing tomatoes in the field, water usage per tomato grown is up to 90% lower in a hydroponic greenhouse.
Meeting needs for computing power and resource-efficient food production all at once
Challange
The rapid growth of AI technologies is driving an increased demand for data centers, as vast computational power is required to support machine learning, data processing, and cloud-based services. Simultaneously, the global need for food production is rising, with an urgent push to grow more with fewer resources.
Innovative solutions, such as using excess heat from data centers to power sustainable agricultural projects, offer a way to address both challenges. By integrating data infrastructure with resource-efficient food production, we can reduce environmental impact and create a more sustainable future.
UN Sustainability Development Goals addressed:
8.2 Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors.
8.3 Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services. Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production, with developed countries taking the lead.
8.4 Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production, with developed countries taking the lead.
8.8 Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment.
9.4 By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities.
11.a Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning.
12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
14.1 By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.
15.1 By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements
15.5 Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.
17.16 Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries, in particular developing countries.
Project partners
FAQ
What is WA3RM’s solution?
WA3RM brings waste to life by connecting industries that want to put their waste streams to better use, with entrepreneurs that benefit from accessible energy and raw materials in different forms. WA3RM creates loops with waste streams from an anchor industry and provides the financial mechanisms to develop new regenerative businesses.
What do you mean by regenerative systems?
WA3RM’s development concept is called Regenerative Industry Development (RID) and combines industrial waste streams, technological processes and third-party capital to create new industries in which waste resources from industry are the primary input. The process of regenerative industry development can be applied also to each new regenerative industry established, creating multiloop regeneration.
What are the benefits of your bringing waste to life approach?
WA3RM was created to bring about big scale positive impacts, showing that industry is a big part of a workable and profitable solution to the challenges facing our planet. Using waste streams to create valuable products that we all need, such as food, fodder, and fuels can bring substantial benefits to the environment and to society.
This sounds like a brilliant idea, why has this never been done before?
Using waste streams, including waste heat and CO2 for food production is not a new concept. But most organizations work within their “box” – e.g. government looks after its citizens, companies sell goods and services for shareholders, NGOs fight for causes, etc. WA3RM uniquely works across various “boxes” with a variety of stakeholders from industry, government, community. However, the process of industries collaborating to share surplus resources has been around for several decades, with documented success cases starting in the 1960s, it has yet to be mainstreamed. WA3RM’s waste to life approach is novel in that instead of waiting for the transformation to happen, we take action from developing an idea to reuse industrial streams, designing and building a facility, financing and managing the asset. What is new about our solution is the scale and the business model that we use to make these ideas a reality.
So, it is actually plausible for producers to operate a profitable business using waste streams?
Indeed, it is possible for producers to operate their businesses using waste streams and making a fair profit. It has been done for decades in different sectors at varying scales. WA3RM works to lift the barriers for industries and producers to gain mutual benefits and increase their competitive advantages. By sharing surplus materials and services while reducing their environmental footprint, we contribute to thriving communities with job creation, and self-sufficiency for the regions where we establish our projects.
How do you make sure that the solution doesn’t hamper the possibility for industries to improve energy efficiency?
When we create business opportunities out of waste streams, particularly low temperature waste heat for heating, we do it in cooperation with large, energy-intensive industries with well-developed and efficient operations. We strive to work with “real waste heat”, meaning the heat that we can find in industrial processes, which will not disappear after a technological improvement by the industry in a time frame of 20 years.
How can I drive action?
Whatever your role in society is, you can also drive action, at the individual and collective levels, to bring about a more desirable future for all. Please copy us, join us, or get in contact so we can inspire each other and drive action together.
More questions?
Tomatoes from our greenhouse project in Frövi are available in store all over Sweden.
Welcoming Food Ventures
Operator
The greenhouses in Frövi will be operated by Food Ventures. A global leader in greenhouse growing, specialized in continuously supplying fresh and tasty vegetables, grown sustainably in high-tech greenhouses.
Operators
Scale good ideas without to big risk or climate footprint.
Operators
Scale good ideas without to big risk or climate footprint.
Operators
Scale good ideas without to big risk or climate footprint.
The project site is located in Ølgod, Varde municipality, Denmark
