case studies

Hospital Paris Grand Nord, France

Project Overview

Pure Thermal is proud to highlight the Hospital Paris Grand Nord project in Saint-Ouen, France, a major healthcare development that demonstrates how thermal energy storage can help meet large-scale cooling demands whilst overcoming site constraints.

The new hospital will cover approximately 168,000m² and is being developed to support a broad range of clinical and surgical services. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, with completion expected in 2030.

With a projected peak cooling demand of almost 16MW, the project team required an efficient and reliable cooling strategy capable of supporting a modern healthcare facility whilst addressing limitations in available plant space.

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The Challenge

Large healthcare facilities require significant cooling capacity to maintain comfortable temperatures, protect sensitive equipment, and support critical medical environments.

For Hospital Paris Grand Nord, one of the key challenges was the lack of sufficient roof space to accommodate the level of adiabatic dry cooling required for a traditional chiller-only solution. This restriction made it difficult to install enough cooling equipment to satisfy the hospital’s peak demand.

The design team therefore needed an alternative approach that could:

  • Meet peak cooling loads approaching 16MW
  • Reduce reliance on oversized chiller installations
  • Maximise available building space
  • Improve overall system efficiency
  • Provide a dependable cooling solution for a critical healthcare environment

The Solution

To overcome these challenges, the project adopted a hybrid cooling strategy that combines conventional chillers with FAFCO ICEBAT thermal energy storage technology.

The system incorporates approximately 33MWh of ice thermal energy storage, allowing cooling energy to be generated and stored during periods of lower demand before being released when cooling requirements increase.

By integrating thermal energy storage into the cooling infrastructure, the hospital can significantly reduce peak cooling loads placed on the chiller plant.

The ICEBAT system is designed to provide up to 5MW of cooling output during peak demand periods, helping the facility meet its cooling requirements without the need for additional rooftop cooling equipment.

Peak Load Management

One of the key advantages of thermal energy storage is its ability to shift cooling production away from periods of highest demand.

For the Hospital Paris Grand Nord project, the ICEBAT system is used to store cooling capacity and discharge it when cooling loads reach their highest levels throughout the day. This approach helps reduce peak electrical demand and improves the efficiency of the overall cooling plant.

The system’s ability to provide up to 5MW of cooling support during peak periods allows the hospital to maintain reliable temperature control whilst reducing pressure on the mechanical cooling infrastructure.

ICEBAT Thermal Energy Storage System

The installation uses three ICEBAT UWH thermal energy storage units, providing a combined storage capacity of approximately 33MWh.

Key specifications include:

  • Total storage capacity: 33MWh
  • Peak cooling contribution: Up to 5MW
  • Three ICEBAT storage modules
  • Designed to support a hospital cooling demand of approximately 15.8MW
  • Integrated alongside the site’s chiller infrastructure

This arrangement enables the hospital to benefit from both dependable chiller performance and the operational advantages of thermal energy storage.

Project Benefits

The Hospital Paris Grand Nord development demonstrates how thermal energy storage can play an important role in modern healthcare infrastructure.

Benefits of the solution include:

  • Reduced peak cooling demand on chillers
  • Improved use of available plant space
  • Lower infrastructure requirements compared with a chiller-only design
  • Greater operational flexibility
  • Reliable cooling support for a critical healthcare facility
  • Improved overall system efficiency through load shifting

Supporting Large-Scale Healthcare Cooling

As hospitals continue to grow in size and complexity, the demand for efficient cooling systems continues to increase. Thermal energy storage provides a practical way to manage peak loads whilst helping designers overcome site limitations and improve plant performance.

The Hospital Paris Grand Nord project is a strong example of how ICEBAT thermal energy storage technology can be integrated into large-scale healthcare developments to deliver dependable cooling capacity whilst making the most of available infrastructure.

Interested in learning how thermal energy storage can support your cooling requirements? Contact Pure Thermal to discuss your project and discover how ICEBAT technology can help improve efficiency, reduce peak demand, and support long-term energy performance.

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