Reused Collider Heat Helps Warm French Homes
- brg_news_room
- Feb 3
- 1 min read
FRANCE: CERN has begun using waste heat from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to warm french homes and businesses in Ferney-Voltaire, a town near its facilities on the French border. A new heat-exchange system captures hot water from the LHC’s cooling process and transfers its thermal energy to a local district heating network. Two 5-MW heat exchangers are installed, currently supplying up to 5 MW, with potential to double when operations are at full capacity. The system reduces reliance on gas and cuts thousands of tonnes of CO₂ emissions. Even during the LHC’s upcoming Long Shutdown 3 for maintenance and upgrades, some heat will continue to be provided. The project forms part of CERN’s wider sustainability efforts, including heat recovery from its data centre and other sites, helping to save an estimated 25–30 GWh of energy annually by 2027.
Source: CERN
