Supporting decommissioning through refrigerant recovery
Author: Joe Peck
As demand for AI, cloud-based services, and high-performance computing continues to grow, the UK data centre landscape is changing rapidly. Larger, more energy-intensive facilities are being developed to meet future digital infrastructure requirements, while some older and smaller data centres are being decommissioned, repurposed, or replaced.
As part of a wider demolition project linked to the closure of a data centre, A‑Gas Rapid Recovery was appointed to safely recover refrigerant from cooling equipment before the site was stripped out, preventing the release of high global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants into the atmosphere and keeping valuable product in circulation.
The challenge
Data centres rely on cooling systems to maintain critical operating conditions. When these systems are decommissioned, refrigerant must be recovered safely, efficiently, and in line with F-Gas requirements. Releasing refrigerant into the atmosphere is not only harmful to the environment but also represents the loss of a valuable resource that can be reclaimed and reused.
In this case, the project formed part of a broader demolition programme following the planned closure of the data centre. The customer required a specialist recovery partner capable of working safely within a complex site environment whilst helping ensure that high GWP refrigerants were captured and managed responsibly.
The solution
A-Gas Rapid Recovery provided an on-site refrigerant recovery solution, using specialist equipment and experienced engineers to recover refrigerant from the data centre’s cooling systems. By carrying out the recovery work ahead of demolition, A-Gas helped ensure that the refrigerant was removed safely and that the customer could progress the wider site closure project with confidence.
The recovered refrigerant was managed in line with A-Gas’s Lifecycle Refrigerant Management (LRM) philosophy, which focuses on recovering, reclaiming, and repurposing refrigerant wherever possible. This approach helps reduce the need for virgin product, supports circularity, and ensures refrigerants are kept in use for as long as possible.
The results
• Recovered over one tonne of high-GWP refrigerants from the data centre site
• Prevented refrigerant from being released into the atmosphere
• Supported the wider demolition programme by enabling the safe decommissioning of cooling equipment
• Kept valuable refrigerant product in circulation through responsible recovery and onward lifecycle management
• Demonstrated how data centre closure projects can support both compliance and circular economy goals
Jake Matthews, Head of Gas Acquisition at A-Gas, says, “Recovering refrigerant is critical to reducing emissions and protecting valuable resources. Every kilogram we recover is a kilogram prevented from being released into the atmosphere, helping our customers meet their environmental responsibilities while supporting a more circular approach to refrigerant management.”
Why it matters
The growth of AI and cloud-based services is increasing demand for modern data centre infrastructure. As the market evolves, older facilities may be closed, replaced, or upgraded to meet new requirements around capacity, power density, and efficiency. These transition points create an important opportunity to recover refrigerants responsibly and reduce the environmental impact of decommissioning activity.
By partnering with A-Gas Rapid Recovery, customers can ensure that refrigerants are captured efficiently, handled compliantly, and directed into appropriate recovery, reclamation, or reuse pathways.
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