A data center project in Croatia is taking an innovative approach to both power generation and waste management by using discarded material from the olive oil industry as biofuel.
Engineering firm Inovapro is planning to develop what it calls a “green AI data center” in ÄŒaporice, a town near Trilj located about 30 miles northeast of Split. The €20 million facility will have a capacity of around 3MW and is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2027.
What makes the project distinctive is its integration with an energy park that will generate biomass power from olive production waste, along with waste from Croatia’s tourism and hospitality sectors. The approach addresses a practical challenge: most of the olive fruit becomes waste after oil extraction, and the leftover material, known as pomace, can be difficult to handle due to its acidity and toxicity.
The setup creates a symbiotic relationship between the two facilities. Heat generated by the data center will be redirected to help dry the olive pomace at the energy park, which is designed to process up to 12,900 tons of bio-waste annually. The five-hectare site effectively turns a disposal problem into an energy resource.
Inovapro specializes in rooftop solar systems, HVAC installations, and other energy-related projects. The company is seeking co-financing from European Union funds to support the development.
The project represents a growing trend of finding practical uses for agricultural waste while meeting the substantial energy demands of data centers, which typically require significant cooling and power infrastructure.
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