Comtel announces 'zero-impact' data center in Florence powered by 84MW solar plant

IT services provider Comtel has unveiled plans to develop a data center in Florence, central Italy, as part of a larger renewable energy hub proposed for the southeastern edge of the city. The facility is designed to operate with zero net environmental impact, drawing its electricity entirely from an 84MW solar plant and channeling waste heat from its servers into on-site food production operations.

The project forms part of the H2-Era Green Valley complex, a renewable energy initiative led by a consortium headed by engineering firm Ge-Group in Figline Valdarno, a town located southeast of Florence. The site was previously occupied by a factory owned by Belgian manufacturer Bekaert, which produced tire-reinforcing steel cord. Bekaert announced the closure of the facility in 2018, resulting in the loss of 318 jobs. Four years later, the site was acquired by the Ge-Group-led consortium and rebranded as H2-Era Green Valley.

Although full planning permission has not yet been granted, the centerpiece of the development is intended to be the 84MW solar plant, which will serve as the primary power source for the data center co-developed with Comtel. Excess energy generated by the solar array will be used to produce green hydrogen, while heat recovered from the data center's servers will be directed to a vertical farming unit located within the same complex.

Comtel, founded in 1992 and headquartered in Milan, provides IT infrastructure services for data centers and other critical facilities. If built, the Figline Valdarno facility will mark the company's first data center that it directly operates. The company has not disclosed details regarding the facility's IT compute capacity, physical size, or construction cost.

"The data center market is experiencing unprecedented growth and requires partners capable of managing complex end-to-end projects," said Mattia Conti, managing director of Comtel. "Comtel has the expertise, industry connections, and operational capacity to position itself as a one-stop partner, from design and construction through to infrastructure management, creating value for customers, partners, and shareholders."

The announcement underscores a broader industry trend toward integrating data center development with renewable energy generation, particularly in regions where grid capacity and sustainability targets present challenges. Florence's data center market remains relatively small compared to national hubs such as Milan and Rome; according to DataCenterMap, the city currently hosts only three operational facilities. The proposed project, if realized, would represent a significant addition to the region's digital infrastructure while aligning with Italy's growing focus on clean energy and circular economy principles.