Free cooling chillers using F-gas refrigerants for largest data centre in Norway

The company operating the largest data centre in Norway has a mission focused on providing environmentally friendly and highly energy-efficient data centre solutions. The location in Norway with an average temperature of 5.8°C and the hottest month of the year having an average temperature of 16.8°C means the design can take advantage of these conditions to save energy and cooling cost. The 71 air-cooled free cooling chillers were selected for their energy efficiency, reliability, and compact footprint. The chillers use F-gas refrigerants and are available with non-flammable HFC-134a, R-513A or ultra-low A2L HFO-1234ze(E). The units feature screw compressors, optimised for low maintenance and high efficiency, and variable Frequency Drive (VFD) technology, which adjusts compressor speed to match cooling demand, reducing energy consumption. The Intelligent Data Centre Manager (IDCM) uses AI and machine learning to continuously optimise system performance, integrating seamlessly with chillers and fan arrays. The three completed buildings on the data centre campus have a total capacity of 90 MW.

The data centre is operated to high sustainability standards, including the use of 100% renewable hydropower, world-leading energy efficiency, preparation for heat reuse through installation of heat exchangers, and identifying potential projects and initiatives that can benefit from the residual heat produced. The data centre also received the European Data Centre Project of the Year 2024 award at the Datacentre Dynamics Awards Ceremony on December 11, 2024, recognizing excellence in design and sustainability.

Sources Manufacturer’s information and data, Data centre operator information, Cooling Post, Genie Climatique Magazine.