Interxion's Vienna data center campus is set to heat the nearby Floridsdorf Hospital, it has been announced. This will be facilitated by the Austrian government injecting €3.5 million ($3.7m) from environmental funds into the project, which will see the construction of an insulated pipe between the two, through which hot water from the data center will flow. In total, this project, which is expected to be operational by 2023, is set to save around 4,000 tons of CO2 emissions a year, and the hospital is estimated to get between 50% to 70% of its heat from the data center.
Minister Leonore Gewessler, during a presentation of the project
According to Austria's Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler, projects like this will help push the country towards independence with regards to energy supply. She outlined: "We need to end the dependence on Russian natural gas. Only when we create our own energy are we strong."
She added: "Klinik Floridsdorf is a real pioneer and uses the data center warmth with heat pumps to heat the whole area. This is smart, energy-efficient, and delivers half the warmth necessary for the clinic."
