Paris to expand Seine-based district cooling network
scienceJun 26, 202618184
Paris will triple the length of its underground pipe network that distributes chilled Seine water to buildings, expanding the Fraîcheur de Paris district cooling system first conceived in the 1990s by a subsidiary of the city’s electric utility Engie. The existing network of six interconnected plants draws river water to cool major sites such as the Louvre and deliver cold to the urban core, reducing the need for individual air-conditioning units. City officials say the system cuts refrigerant emissions by about 90 percent and helps stabilize the power grid by lowering peak electricity demand. Climate trends are increasing demand: Paris’s Cooling Degree Days have doubled over the past 40 years and are projected to double again this century under SSP2-45. Critics warn the approach is limited by source temperature and that warming river water could reduce effectiveness and raise ecological concerns. The expansion aims to scale river-source cooling across more buildings, directly reducing reliance on standalone air conditioners in Paris if river temperatures and infrastructure performance remain viable.
