US software giant Microsoft and the Finnish energy company Fortum said they plan to create a joint project in Finland with which they will warm the premises using the heat of servers, Reuters reported.
Within the framework of this project, the excess heat generated during the operation of Microsoft data center servers in the Helsinki agglomeration will be directed to heating residential buildings, offices, and institutions.
However, Microsoft’s data center has yet to be built, the report said. The data center would use electricity generated without harmful emissions.
Markus Raumann, head of Fortum, said that thanks to a joint project with Microsoft, harmful emissions will be reduced by 400 thousand tons per year.
At the same time, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin noted that participation in such a project is a “win-win option”.
According to her, the project will “accelerate Finland’s digital development while making our energy system even greener.”