Vantage Data Centers has entered into a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with SolarAfrica, which will enable Vantage to supplement the local grid powering the company’s data center campus in Johannesburg (JNB1) with renewable energy. According to reports, the campus is set to open in July. This is another step towards Vantage’s big sustainability pledge: to achieve net-zero carbon emissions globally by 2030.
When complete, Vantage has outlined that its data center, with an 80MW of capacity, will receive 33% of its energy from the solar farm, with the company’s investment supporting the production of 87MWp of renewable energy, which is forecast to reduce CO2 emissions in the region by an additional 3.8 million tons over the course of the 20 years.
Commenting on the PPA, Justin Jenkins, chief operating officer of EMEA and president of the U.K., Vantage Data Centers, said: “Vantage’s investment in SolarAfrica’s De Aar project reaffirms our continued commitment to sustainability and our drive to reach net zero by 2030. Not only will energy from this investment be used to power our Johannesburg campus, but it will also serve as another example of using solar-driven energy across the data center industry. In the near term, solar energy faces increasing demand, driving prices higher across South Africa. This investment, however, will ensure a stable price for our customers.”
Charl Alheit, SolarAfrica director, added: “With climate change being the defining challenge of our time, it’s crucial that we accelerate our carbon mitigation efforts to transform our planet into a sustainable green economy. We are continually driven to assist our customers in reaching their green energy goals while saving them money in the process. The rollout of the 87MWp solar farm for Vantage’s campus, which will be one of the largest in South Africa, is an exciting step for us as we gear up to help even more businesses save with cheaper, cleaner energy through wheeling.”
