Digital Realty & Schneider: Making Data Centres Sustainable
Digital Realty, in collaboration with Schneider Electric, has secured five new power purchase agreements (PPAs) to power its operations in Spain and France with clean energy.
This move highlights the increasing demand for digital services and the necessity for sustainable energy solutions to support these growing workloads.
Landmark renewable energy agreements
In Spain, Digital Realty signed a comprehensive solar deal comprising three 12-year agreements with BRUC. These projects in Cadiz and Zaragoza align with the strategy of ensuring stable, long-term income with companies sharing the vision of a renewable energy transition to combat climate change.
In France, Digital Realty committed to two 15-year wind energy deals. Partnering with wpd, these agreements will provide a reliable renewable energy supply from small wind farms in Bretagne and Hauts-de-France.
Wpd’s French Onshore President, Grégoire Simon, said: “We are proud to support our customers’ objectives to reduce their carbon footprint. PPA contracts offer cost-effective and predictable energy supply solutions for companies wishing to commit to the energy transition.”
Together, these five PPAs represent 347GWh of renewable energy, enough to power 200,000 European households annually. These projects will enhance the renewable energy pool across Europe, where Digital Realty’s operations have been fully matched with renewable energy since 2020.
Sustainability at Digital Realty’s core
Digital Realty is committed to expanding its renewable energy coverage and achieving its sustainability goals. These include making 100% renewable energy available to customers, reaching carbon neutrality for its French data centre portfolio from 2020 to 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality for its entire EU portfolio by 2030 in line with the EU Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact.
Digital Realty’s VP of Sustainability Aaron Binkley said: “The signing of these recent deals in Spain and France results from the continued execution of Digital Realty’s sustainability strategy, designed to support the development of high-quality renewables and strengthen our renewable energy coverage. We’re committed to expanding our renewable energy portfolio and making progress towards our global sustainability goals.”
Leading the green transition
Schneider Electric’s SVP of its Secure Power Division in Europe, Marc Garner, highlighted the significance of these PPAs.
“The data centre industry is one of the world’s most critical sectors, powering the global digital economy and driving the green transition through the adoption, generation and development of renewable power,” he said. “PPAs like these are essential to its future, helping energy-intensive industries to reap the financial and sustainability benefits of green innovation, and we’re glad to support Digital Realty as it continues to decarbonise its world-leading data centre portfolio.”
Digital Realty’s commitment to ESG standards also aids enterprises in reducing costs and meeting sustainability goals. As the first data centre organisation to join the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), Digital Realty has executed or pledged to following:
- Cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 68% and Scope 3 emissions by 24% by 2030
- Matched all 120 data centres worldwide with renewable electricity
- Executed 15 renewable energy PPAs globally
- Generates approximately 2,200GWh of renewable energy annually
Digital Realty says its sustainability strategy is not just about meeting its goals but also about setting a standard for the industry.
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