Data Center Provides Heat for Neu-Isenburg

October 8, 2026

Source: E & M powernews

Neu-Isenburg plans to feed up to 50 MW of waste heat from the “FRA02” data center into the district heating network. The system is expected to supply more than 600 buildings and a swimming pool.

In the southern part of Neu-Isenburg, a data center is being built on the former printing plant site of the “Frankfurter Rundschau,” which will also be used for the local heat supply in the future. Project developer Goodman, the city of Neu-Isenburg, and Stadtwerke Neu-Isenburg (SWNI) have now signed an amendment to the existing urban development agreement. The partners announced this in a joint statement.

According to the agreement, the data center—designated “FRA02”—is expected to provide up to 50 MW of thermal output to the district heating network once it becomes operational. SWNI plans to use this heat to supply the Süd commercial district, the Neue Welt residential area, and the Waldschwimmbad. In total, more than 600 buildings are to be connected, including single-family homes, apartment buildings, businesses, and public facilities.

The amendment now agreed upon builds on the urban development agreement from 2024. According to the parties involved, it lays the groundwork for an infrastructure agreement between Goodman and the municipal utility. This agreement will specify how heat from the data center will be fed into the grid of the municipal utility in Hesse. At the same time, the amendment establishes a framework for a possible future expansion of the data center campus.

Energy plant to be built in 2028

To utilize the heat, the municipal utility is planning to build its own energy plant on a plot of land provided by Goodman. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2028. Goodman intends to install the technical equipment required for connection to the district heating network on the data center grounds. According to the latest announcement, the building permit and the approval under the Federal Immission Control Act have already been granted.

The project partners do not provide further details on how the heat will be technically brought up to the required temperature level. A feasibility study by SWNI from April 2025 envisaged the use of large heat pumps for this purpose. The waste heat examined at that time was expected to come from the data center at 26 to 28 degrees Celsius and be raised to around 70 degrees.

54 MW of IT Capacity Planned

Goodman acquired the site for “FRA02” in late 2022. According to the company’s current information, the data center is designed for 54 MW of IT capacity. The grid connection is rated at 100 megavolt-amperes (MVA). A dedicated substation will transform the voltage from 110 to 20 kV. Goodman has set the end of 2028 as the target date for the site to become operational.

The urban development agreement signed in 2024 already provided for, among other things, the use of waste heat, green facades and roofs, and photovoltaic systems on office and ancillary buildings. According to the city, Goodman plans to use an air-based system to cool the servers in order to limit the use of drinking water.

The Goodman Group, headquartered in Sydney, develops, owns, and manages logistics real estate and data centers. According to the company, the Australian group operates in 15 countries and, as of the end of June 2026, had a real estate portfolio valued at 89 billion Australian dollars (equivalent to approximately 55.3 billion euros). In terms of data centers, Goodman reports locations worldwide with a combined 6,400 MW of secured or planned power capacity. Goodman has not yet publicly disclosed who will operate or use “FRA02” as a data center once it is completed. Even in SWNI’s 2025 feasibility study, no future operator had been named.

Author: Davina Spohn