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Paris District Cooling Network Runs Around the Clock During Record Heatwave
Record temperatures are pushing Paris's 75-mile underground chilled-water system to its limits. Fraicheur de Paris reports round-the-clock operations and occasional shortfalls in cooling capacity.
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Record high temperatures are straining Paris's district cooling network, with chilling plants operating around the clock to meet demand. Managing Director Marie Carlo of Fraicheur de Paris said occasional power outages have sometimes prevented the water from reaching usual low temperatures.
The 75-mile network carries water chilled in 14 plants and delivered through pipes to more than 900 clients, including offices, malls, the Louvre, and the Opera Garnier.
The system draws water from the Seine via heat exchangers as part of the cooling process and uses 50 percent less electricity than standalone air-conditioning units while cutting emissions by half. The Louvre and the Eiffel Tower both closed earlier than usual this week because of the heat.
The latest European heatwave arrived ahead of the typical July peak, disrupting transport, damaging crops, and forcing school closures across the continent.
Fraicheur de Paris plans to add more plants and nearly 100 miles of additional pipes to triple the number of connected premises by 2042. About half of new pipe installation requires excavation of sidewalks, while the remainder can use the existing sewage grid, allowing some connections in less than a year. Carlo said district cooling is shifting from a comfort measure to a health necessity.
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire described the network as strategic because it avoids the energy overuse and heat emissions of individual air-conditioning units.
