‘Zero-Impact’ Data Center Planned for Florence

IT services provider Comtel has announced plans for a new data center in Florence, Italy. The facility will be part of the proposed H2-Era Green Valley renewable energy complex in Figline Valdarno, southeast of Florence, led by engineering firm Ge-Group. Described as a “zero-impact” data center, it will be powered by an 84MW solar plant, while server waste heat will be reused at food production facilities within the complex. Details on the facility’s size, IT capacity, and construction cost have not yet been disclosed.

“The data center market is experiencing unprecedented growth and requires partners capable of managing complex end-to-end projects,” said Comtel’s managing director Mattia Conti. “Comtel has the expertise, industry connections, and operational capacity to position itself as a one-stop partner, from design and construction through to infrastructure management, creating value for customers, partners, and shareholders.”

The Figline Valdarno site was formerly a Bekaert factory, which closed in 2018. A Ge-Group-led consortium acquired it in 2022 and renamed it H2-Era Green Valley. The proposed project will feature an 84MW solar plant powering the data center, with excess energy used for green hydrogen production and waste heat reused for vertical farming. For Comtel, the facility would be its first directly operated data center.