Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX) has unveiled plans to erect its tenth data centre facility in the French capital, Paris.

The facility – named PA10 -will be part of the operator’s Saint-Denis campus site and in phase 1 it will include 3,775 m2 of colocation space and 1,525 cabinets of capacity.

Upon completion of all planned phases, the full site is expected to generate 5,775  m2 of colocation space with ~2,250 cabinets.

The project will include a heat recovery technology project to recover energy from customer equipment and transfer it to the urban heating network, and in turn, heat the local community swimming pool.

The rooftop of the new site will be home to a greenhouse of 430 m² in which fruit and vegetables will be grown.

A hydroponic system aims to reduce water consumption by using a water recovery system and only irrigating the cultivated areas.

The greenhouse will also utilise the heat recovery technology in place at PA10. The rooftop garden will help retain rainwater and reduce the amount of water directed to the sewer, in addition to reducing waste heat emissions.

Régis Castagné, Managing Director for France at Equinix, said: “For a long time, the digital revolution has been seen as the cause of change in society. Its importance during the pandemic is an illustration of this: not only did it allow us to continue to work, learn, or be entertained, but it was also essential for economic recovery.

“At Equinix, we’re working to support this shift, spearheading innovations to address the environmental impact of digital. Indeed, it has become a societal issue that requires, among other things, increased dialogue between industry and local authorities to hasten progress in this area.”

Charles Meyers, President and CEO at Equinix, added: “In support of the Choose France initiative, today’s investment and expansion serves to bolster the country’s digital infrastructure capabilities, providing local and multi-national corporations with a foundational source of differentiation and the global platform needed to thrive in today’s digital economy.

“Equinix is connecting digital leaders, enabling them to simplify operations, improve customer experience and accelerate the launch of new products and services.”