Ammonia (R717)-based cooling systems for data centers could comprise up to 10% of German OEM GEA’s business in two years, according to Michael Jacobi, Head of Sales and Support Compression for GEA Refrigeration Germany.
“At the moment this is not the biggest share of our business, but I see a growing market,” Jacobi told NaturalRefrigerants.com. “We are prepared for this and have hired people for these applications. I think it will come.”
Jacobi spoke with NaturalRefrigerants.com during Chillventa 2024, one of the world’s largest HVAC&R trade shows held every two years in Nuremberg, Germany. This year’s show runs from October 8–10.
Jacobi said GEA sees a particular opportunity in the Nordic countries to move into the data center sector due to the region’s many district heating networks.
“In the Nordics there are district heating systems, and they want to put, via a combustion system, the heat from a data center into the district heating system,” said Jacobi. “So we are trying to move into this market and are offering our packages there via local contractors.”
While the Nordic countries are a growing market, Jacobi said the majority of the company’s work to date with data centers has been in Germany. It has completed “at least 10” installations, ranging from 2–3 megawatts (568–853TR) of cooling capacity, although Jacobi said there have been inquiries for systems with as much as 20MW (5,686TR) of capacity.
Dr. Carsten Spieker, Innovation and Sustainability Manager for GEA’s Heating and Refrigeration Technologies division, told NaturalRefrigerants.com that the company recommends its semi-hermetic ammonia screw compressors to data center operators.
GEA brought the GrassoX, a packaged system that can feature one to four of its CompaX 350 or 400 compressors, to Chillventa 2024. The cooling capacity of the system ranges from between 200 and 1,900kW (56 and 540TR). The CompaX compressors were first shown at Chillventa 2022.
“We are prepared for this and have hired people for these applications. I think it will come.”
Michael Jacobi, Head of Sales and Support Compression, GEA Refrigeration Germany
