Biomass emerges as key solution for sustainable data centre operations

Data centres worldwide are increasingly turning to biomass energy systems as part of comprehensive strategies to reduce their environmental footprint whilst maintaining operational reliability, according to research published in the journal Energies.
The study, titled "Green Data Centres: Sustainable Solutions with Green Energy and Green–Blue Infrastructure," examines how biomass production and utilisation can address the mounting energy demands of digital infrastructure.
As data centre electricity consumption in the European Union is projected to rise from just under 100 terawatt-hours in 2022 to nearly 150 terawatt-hours by 2026, renewable energy sources including biomass are becoming critical to sustainable operations.
Analysis of twelve international case studies reveals that leading data centres are deploying biogas fuel cells linked to wastewater treatment plants and agricultural waste streams.
These systems create closed-loop energy flows by converting organic waste into both electricity and heat, simultaneously reducing emissions and improving energy resilience.
The research highlights that such biomass-based solutions deliver dual benefits: they provide renewable power whilst addressing waste management challenges in surrounding communities.
Unlike intermittent renewable sources such as solar or wind, biogas systems can offer more consistent baseload power, particularly valuable for data centres requiring continuous electricity supply.
Data centres convert nearly all consumed electricity into heat, generating a continuous and predictable waste heat stream.
The study demonstrates how this characteristic creates opportunities for integration with biomass operations.
Heat generated by servers can be captured and reused through adsorption chillers powered by waste heat from biogas plants, significantly reducing electricity demand for cooling systems.
This synergy between data processing and biomass energy production represents a shift towards treating data centres as active components of local energy ecosystems rather than isolated consumers.
A planned Green Data Centre project in Michałowo, Poland, serves as a practical demonstration of biomass integration principles.
The facility is designed to operate entirely on renewable energy supplied by nearby biogas plants and photovoltaic systems.
The project combines energy production, data processing and ecological design within a single site.
Beyond powering operations, the facility incorporates biomass production through planted landscapes and green infrastructure.
These vegetated areas serve multiple functions: improving thermal performance, supporting biodiversity, and generating renewable biomass feedstock.
According to the research authors, this multi-functional model demonstrates how data centres can move towards energy self-sufficiency whilst reducing both operational emissions and embodied carbon across their lifecycle.
The study places particular emphasis on green infrastructure as an often-overlooked component of sustainable data centre design.
Vegetation, green roofs, and biologically active surfaces not only support biodiversity and improve microclimates but can also produce biomass materials for energy applications.
However, researchers found that most existing data centres - even those branded as sustainable - have not fully embraced these integrated approaches.
Green roofs, green walls, and landscape-based biomass production remain relatively rare, reflecting both regulatory limitations and a lack of planning frameworks that connect energy engineering with landscape design.
The authors recommend that future data centre development prioritise renewable energy including biomass as a core component rather than an afterthought.
They stress that sustainability should be measured through continuous monitoring of carbon intensity, water use, and energy performance rather than static benchmarks.
The study acknowledges limitations in current research, noting gaps in quantitative data on the performance of biomass-integrated systems and calling for further investigation into how nature-based solutions can be optimised in technical facilities.