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[TECHNOLOGY] · Denmark, Germany, France, United Kingdom · 9 sources

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Part of situation: Global waste heat recovery initiatives (2 clusters)

Waste heat recovery could reduce Europe's gas reliance

waste heat recovery energy security data center cooling renewable energy European energy policy

A report from Danish engineering firm Danfoss indicates that capturing and reusing waste heat could significantly enhance Europe's energy security and reduce its reliance on gas. In 2024, approximately two-thirds of global energy was lost as heat, a figure projected to reach 55 percent by 2030. Experts identify waste heat from supermarkets, factories, wastewater treatment plants, and data centers as a major untapped energy source.

In Europe, reusing this heat could potentially save up to 140 billion euros annually. For context, the waste heat generated in Europe alone could power the city of Paris for 48 years. In Germany, industrial waste heat could meet over 30 percent of the country's district heating demand. One Danish aluminum manufacturer has already successfully transitioned away from gas by utilizing waste heat processes.

Simultaneously, the rise of artificial intelligence is driving increased electricity demand for data centers. In Europe, data center consumption is expected to grow from 96 TWh in 2024 to 236 TWh by 2035. To address these growing energy needs, startups like the UK-based EkkoSense are implementing advanced cooling solutions. EkkoSense recently deployed sensor-based monitoring at 20 Virgin Media O2 data centers, resulting in an average 15 percent reduction in cooling energy usage.

Entities

Danfoss · Denmark · EkkoSense · Ember · Europe · Germany · Paris · Virgin Media O2

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Sources

Immer mehr Europäer treiben Sport [goodnews-magazin.de]
حرارة النفايات. . أكبر مصدر غير مستغل للطاقة قد ينهي اعتماد أوروبا على الغاز [arabic.euronews.com]
Größte ungenutzte Energiequelle der Welt: Abwärme soll Europas Gasabhängigkeit beenden [de.euronews.com]
¿Pueden las 'startups' europeas frenar el consumo de energía de la IA? [es.euronews.com]
Les start-up européennes peuvent-elles résoudre les défis énergétiques de l'IA ? [fr.euronews.com]
„A legnagyobb kiaknázatlan energiaforrás”: hulladékhő segíthet Európának csökkenteni gázfüggését [hu.euronews.com]
Calore di scarto, la più grande risorsa inesplorata: Europa verso l’addio al gas [it.euronews.com]
Europe’s waste heat alone could power Paris for 48 years [www.euronews.com]
‘World’s largest untapped energy source’: How waste heat could help Europe end its reliance on gas [uk.news.yahoo.com]