Decarbonization through heat recovery from data centers: A2A and Equinix launch a strategic partnership in Milan

• Agreement on terms signed to harness thermal energy generated by digital infrastructure
• This circular economy model will supply up to 225 GWh per year to the district heating network, increasing decarbonized heat distributed across the city by 20%

Milan, 2nd July 2026 – Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the world’s digital infrastructure company®, and A2A, Italy’s second-largest energy operator and a leader in circular economy solutions and district heating, today have announced the start of an industrial collaboration dedicated to the recovery and valorization of heat generated by data centers, which will be integrated into the district heating network of the city of Milan.

The project represents one of the most significant circular economy initiatives applied to digital infrastructure in Italy and will enable the recovery of thermal energy produced by servers housed in Equinix’s campus in Settimo Milanese (MI), transforming it into an energy resource for the benefit of the local area.

As part of the partnership, Equinix will design and manage the system for exporting heat from its campus, collaborating with various stakeholders (including its customers, whose servers constitute the heat source within the data center) to make the thermal energy generated by data processing activities available.

The recovered heat will be transferred to the new Energy Center built by A2A near the site, where it will be utilized through four large-scale heat pumps with a total capacity of 72 MW, two thermal storage systems with a capacity of 6,000 cubic meters, and an infrastructure dedicated to transporting thermal energy to the urban network.

Once fully operational, the project will recover up to 225 GWh of thermal energy per year, increasing the heat distributed through A2A Group’s Milan district heating network by about 20%. This recovered energy will be sufficient to meet the heating needs of more than 21,000 homes and will avoid over 345,000 tons of CO₂ emissions—equivalent to the annual CO₂ absorption of approximately 220,000 trees—delivering a significant environmental benefit for the city.

At the same time, A2A will expand its district heating network, enabling the distribution of heat recovered from the data centers across a wide area of the city—from the center to the outskirts—including iconic Milan landmarks such as the Duomo and Palazzo Reale, which are already heated through the Group’s district heating network.

“Equinix has a long and proud history of aligning the needs of our business with the needs of the communities we call home. Our collaboration with A2A is a clear example of how essential digital infrastructure and local sustainability goals can work in service of each other,” commented Adaire FoxMartin, CEO and President, Equinix. “By putting thermal energy from our operations to use for local homes and residents, we're eliminating waste and moving Milan toward a low-carbon future.”

“Excess heat is a by-product of the processing power required for digital transformation and AI, but when we redistribute it to the areas surrounding our data centers, we can create tremendous value for our communities while reducing the overall energy needed to heat the area,” said Emanuela Grandi, Managing Director of Equinix Italy. “We are very proud of the efforts and achievements Equinix has done in blazing a trail for data center heat export in Europe and we’re applying learnings from our successes to our efforts in Italy, helping create a market for data center heat that can greatly contribute to the decarbonization targets of the overall Country. By scale, this initiative in Italy is expected to become among the largest data-center heat-export project in Europe outside the Nordics”.

“Data centers are strategic infrastructure for the competitiveness of the Country and for supporting the digital transformation of the economy. Their growth requires models capable of combining technological innovation, energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability. From this perspective, heat recovery is a key lever for maximizing the value of digital hubs and accelerating the decarbonization of cities,” stated Renato Mazzoncini, CEO of A2A. “The collaboration with Equinix is fully aligned with our strategy to develop an integrated ecosystem where energy, infrastructure, and innovation operate synergistically. Through the investments outlined in the 2035 Plan and thanks to the Group’s industrial expertise, we intend to contribute to a strategic sector for Italy, while simultaneously generating economic, environmental, and social value for local communities.”

The agreement with Equinix reinforces A2A’s commitment to promoting sustainable development in the data center sector and to capitalizing on the opportunities presented by growing demand for digital capacity. The Group has already launched projects to recover heat from these facilities in Lombardy and continues to develop innovative solutions to integrate decarbonized sources into its district heating networks. This new partnership confirms both companies’ commitment to developing an industrial model that combines digital growth, energy efficiency, and the circular economy, thereby making a tangible contribution to the
sustainability and energy resilience of urban areas.

About Equinix
Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX) shortens the path to boundless connectivity anywhere in the world. Its digital infrastructure, data center footprint and interconnected ecosystems empower innovations that enhance our work, life and planet. Equinix connects economies, countries, organizations and communities, delivering seamless digital experiences and cutting-edge AI—quickly, efficiently and everywhere.

About A2A
Listed on the Italian Stock Exchange, with around 15,000 employees, A2A is the first player in Italy in the circular economy and district heating sectors, and the second-largest national energy operator for installed capacity and electricity distributed. The Group manages the generation, sale and distribution of energy, the sale and distribution of gas, district heating, waste cycle, electric mobility and smart services for cities, public lighting, and the integrated water service. A2A’s strategy is based on two pillars: circular economy and energy transition, underpinned by a €23 billion investment plan to 2035, which combines sustainable value creation, decarbonization, innovation, and a contribution to the country’s energy independence.

Contacts:

Equinix Media Relations
press@equinix.com

Equinix Investor Relations
invest@equinix.com

A2A
Giuseppe Mariano
Head of Media Relations, Social Networking and Web
Silvia Merlo - Silvia Onni
Press Office
ufficiostampa@a2a.it
Tel. [+39] 02 7720.4583

Marco Porro
Head of Investor Relations
ir@a2a.it
Tel. +390277203974

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from expectations discussed in such forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, risks to our business and operating results related to the current inflationary environment; foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations; stock price fluctuations; increased costs to procure power and the general volatility in the global energy market; the challenges of building and operating IBX and xScale ® data centers, including those related to sourcing suitable power and land, and any supply chain constraints or increased costs of supplies; the challenges of developing, deploying and delivering Equinix products and solutions; unanticipated costs or difficulties relating to the integration of companies we have acquired or will acquire into Equinix; a failure to receive significant revenues from customers in recently built out or acquired data centers; failure to complete any financing arrangements contemplated from time to time; competition from existing and new competitors; the ability to generate sufficient cash flow or otherwise obtain funds to repay new or outstanding indebtedness; the loss or decline in business from our key customers; risks related to our taxation as a REIT; risks related to regulatory inquiries or litigation and other risks described from time to time in Equinix filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In particular, see recent and upcoming Equinix quarterly and annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of which are available upon request from Equinix. Equinix does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.