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Following the successful implementation of a geothermal cooling plant proof of concept in Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, the National Central Cooling Company (Tabreed) is considering potential pilot projects for geothermal cooling plants for data centres.

"Heat from geothermal wells, along with the heat produced by the data centre facility, can be captured and used to supply power for cooling the data centre," Khalid Marzooqi, Tabreed chief executive, told MEED on the sidelines of the ongoing World Utilities Congress in Abu Dhabi. 

Marzooqi said Tabreed is talking to several data centre service providers and soliciting proposals for a potential pilot project.

"Sustainability is a big ticket item for data centres," said Marzooqi, adding that a remotely located, off-grid data centre could be an ideal first project, where geothermal wells can be drilled within five to 10 metres of the facility to supply power to a captive power or cooling plant.

Tabreed and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) announced the start of operations in December 2023 at G2Cool, a district cooling project harnessing geothermal energy. The geothermal cooling plant provides 10% of Masdar City's requirements.

The two geothermal wells have temperatures exceeding 90 degrees centigrade and flow rates of approximately 100 litres a second.

The doublet provides hot water that is fed into absorption cooling technology to produce chilled water, which is then utilised for Tabreed’s district cooling activities.

The two geothermal wells being utilised for the project were drilled in 2009-10 under a project carried out with Iceland's Reykjavik Geothermal.

"Advancements in geothermal and district cooling technologies, as well as development at Masdar City, compelled the partners to revisit the project," Tabreed and Adnoc, which is financing the project, said in December.