High-performance computing generates enormous amounts of heat — a problem most data centres pump into the atmosphere. Paris-based cloud provider Scaleway has acquired Qarnot, a French HPC specialist that routes that waste heat into district heating networks instead, to add dedicated compute capabilities to its European cloud and AI platform.
The deal, announced on 10 July, brings together two companies with complementary ambitions. Qarnot has spent years deploying servers inside buildings where the heat they produce is channelled to nearby facilities: aquatic centres, industrial sites, and cities including Brescia, Italy, where its infrastructure feeds the local district heating network. Using patented direct liquid-cooling technology, up to 95 per cent of the heat produced by its HPC servers can be recovered without affecting computing performance.
For Scaleway, backed by the iliad Group, the acquisition fills a gap in its portfolio. The company has positioned itself as Europe's only sovereign cloud provider offering cloud, AI, and dedicated HPC within a single platform. Qarnot's workload footprint covers aerospace, automotive, energy, manufacturing, and financial services, adding an industrial clientele to Scaleway's existing base. Customers include MaiaSpace, Alpine Racing, Natixis, and ATR Aircraft.
"The next frontier isn't just more efficient compute. It's making sure the energy we can't avoid consuming creates value twice. Tomorrow's cloud platforms won't only be measured by the performance they deliver, but by how intelligently they use the energy they consume. Qarnot's expertise in waste heat recovery helps us move towards that future," said Damien Lucas, CEO of Scaleway.
Clément Pellegrini, CTO of Qarnot, said the acquisition provides the scale the company has needed: "Joining Scaleway gives Qarnot the backing of a major European cloud provider and the iliad Group. It gives us the scale, investment capacity and European reach to bring our HPC expertise to more organisations while continuing to build on the principles that shaped Qarnot from the beginning."
Both companies share a commitment to European jurisdiction and open-source infrastructure, citing the Open Compute Project as a shared design standard. The acquisition reinforces a broader argument taking shape in the European cloud market: that data sovereignty and environmental responsibility are becoming harder to separate as AI infrastructure scales and energy demand grows with it.
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