Amid rising heat, Paris expands a network of pipes to keep cool
The World
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Record-breaking heat is rolling through parts of Europe this week. Authorities in France have declared heat warnings that, for the first time, cover nearly all of the country’s mainland; temperatures are projected to range from the mid-90s to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit over the next couple days.
Climate change is turning extreme heat into the new normal. Paris is now trying to adapt by expanding its district cooling system, a network of underground pipes that pump cold water throughout the city. The World’s Host Carolyn Beeler spoke with Raphaelle Nayral, head of Fraicheur de Paris, the company operating the network.
Carolyn Beeler: This concept is called “district cooling.” How does it work?
Raphaëlle Nayral: District cooling has existed for 30 years now in Paris. Basically, you have “chillers” that will bring the temperature of water down to five degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit) and send this water through pipes. This water connects different buildings, approximately 850 in Paris, and then the building itself will collect the cold water and make it run through its different stories. And this way we’ll bring air conditioning onto the different floors.
How much are you planning to expand this network?
We are planning to expand the network by approximately 3,000 clients by the end of 2042. We will expand the number because we want to also connect different kinds of buildings. We want this network to connect more small businesses, hospitals, kindergartens, elderly homes and so on and so forth.
Adding on these hospitals, elder care homes, schools, is that a public health approach to this expansion?
[Yes], what is happening now is that with climate change, cities like Paris will need to provide a safer environment for fragile people. So, it was more viewed as [a luxury] over the past decades, and now it is becoming more [necessary].
Why use this cooling network rather than installing more air conditioning? That sounds like it might be a simpler approach.
From an energy point of view,we consider the efficiency that we have in the network; you will consume half the energy that you would need if you were using a standalone solution.
It is a massive public works program, though, and I imagine it is not cheap. What are some of the hurdles that you have had to overcome to get this plan going or that you anticipate seeing as you roll out this plan?
Yes, there are a lot of hurdles to expand the network. It’s complex. In a city like Paris, that is very dense, you have all the different networks that have come before you: power cable, gas, fiber, they’re all in the different little streets that we have in Paris. So, when you have to install the district cooling, approximately half of the pipes are installed into the sewer system.
How widespread are these types of district cooling systems around the world?
In Europe, I can tell you that we are almost the first one, if not the largest one. I think the Swedish also have a big district cooling network. The biggest in terms of capacity are definitely the ones you would find in the United Arab Emirates.
There are limits to all solutions. Are there impacts from climate change that this cooling system cannot address?
The perfect solution overall does not exist, and we cannot expand the capacity of the network [with] no limit. But it’s not only what is the best air conditioning system, it’s a wider approach. The city of Paris has decided to bring more trees into the city, to rehabilitate all the buildings, the public buildings, to encourage the consumer to decrease the energy consumption during the summer season. So, it’s all the different actions. And the last one is to use an air conditioning system. In that case, let’s use the more efficient one.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
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