Printemps cooling plant – Paris, France 

SYSTRA provided design and construction supervision services for the connection of the Printemps department store’s cooling plant to the Paris district cooling network. 

Fraîcheur de Paris, the City of Paris concession holder and a joint venture between ENGIE and RATP, operates the capital’s district cooling network, established in 1991 and now the largest in Europe. The operator has also managed the Printemps cooling plant since 2017. Commissioned in 2000 to serve the department store’s four blocks, the plant is located beneath the store. 

SYSTRA was appointed to connect the standalone 16 MW plant to the network and improve its operation. The scope covered design and construction supervision for the connection, installation of the associated equipment and upgrade of the existing plant. 

A two-way connection 

SYSTRA adapted the chilled-water production conditions of the existing chillers and cooling towers to align them with the Fraîcheur de Paris network’s operating temperatures. This required a detailed assessment of the equipment, its performance and operating limits, while maintaining an uninterrupted cooling supply to Printemps. 

The connection also required new hydraulic interfaces between the plant and the network, including pipework, hydraulic separation equipment, heat exchangers and control systems. The aim was to provide reliable and efficient heat transfer through precise control of flow rates, temperatures and operating modes. 

A key feature of the project was the ability to transfer cooling energy in both directions. When demand at Printemps exceeds the plant’s available capacity, the Fraîcheur de Paris network can supply the shortfall. Conversely, when the plant has spare capacity, it can feed excess cooling into the district network. This bidirectional arrangement gives operators greater flexibility, strengthens the department store’s security of supply and makes better use of the capacity available on both sides of the connection. 

The new operating configuration also required an upgrade to the electrical power supply and the modernisation of the control and automation systems. This brought the plant in line with current operator standards for monitoring, safety, operation and maintenance, while improving its long-term performance. 

A sustainable and resilient solution 

Beyond its technical scope, the project supports a more sustainable approach to urban cooling. By integrating an existing plant into a large district cooling network, it pools resources rather than relying on less efficient standalone systems. This improves overall system efficiency, reduces losses and lowers the carbon footprint of cooling in the city. 

As periods of extreme heat become more frequent, the connection also strengthens the resilience of the Paris network. It adds capacity and operational flexibility, particularly during the summer months. 

Another key benefit is the reuse and upgrade of existing infrastructure. Rather than replacing the plant, the project extended its service life and turned it into a strategic asset within the wider network.