In a step towards meeting its ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) goals, Chennai-based ICT solutions provider Sify Technologies Limited, has decided to partially power one of its three data centres in Mumbai using renewable energy. The company announced today that it has entered into power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Vibrant Energy Holdings for a total 231 MW of solar and wind energy capacity to power its latest hyperscale data centres. The company will power more data centres and facilities using only green energy over a period of time.
“The partnership is a clear roadmap for the company to minimise its dependence on fossil fuels to power its fast-growing data center business, dramatically reducing its carbon footprint. By simultaneously investing in both solar and wind energy, Sify will soon be able to deliver most of the power required for its flagship data centers in Mumbai from renewable sources and intends to continue increasing renewable penetration across its nationwide footprint,” the company said in a press release.
Sify’s energy current needs are slightly in excess of 80 MW, and the company plans to build an additional 200 MW capacity over the next four years. The capacity of the projects, the associated cost benefits, the projected scale and the local regulatory rules will dictate how much of renewable energy will be consumed.
Raju Vegesna, Chairman, Sify said that data centres are going to play an important role in the digital economy and investing in clean energy sources is a social imperative.
“As an early adopter of ESG guidelines, Sify has constantly pushed the envelope in the data center space. This shift to renewables will deliver clear economic advantages, but it is also about proving the viability of adopting green energy solutions at an industrial scale,” said MP Vijay Kumar, the company’s CFO.
In India, the installed power capacity for data centres rests at 375 MW, which is likely to triple by 2025. The Union Budget 2022, too, granted infrastructure status to data centres, thus underlining their significance in our digital economy. The shift from fossil energy to renewable energy for data centre operations globally seems inevitable and companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have already taken the path of transformation. Several Indian telcos have also taken initiatives in this regard.
As climate change poses existential threat to the planet, investing in green data seems to be the need of the hour. Also because, a data centre, which houses networked computers, storage systems and computing infrastructure, sucks up a huge amount of electricity. According to the International Energy Agency, 1 per cent of all global electricity is used by data centers. They are estimated to consume 1/5th of the world’s power supply by 2025.
