• Africa Data Centres has signed a new 20-year power purchase agreement with solar energy firm DPA.
• The deal with see DPA deliver 12MW of renewable solar power to 30 percent of Africa Data Centres’ South African facilities.
• DPA is building a solar power farm near Bloemfontein which will provide power to the data centre facilities.

Data centres use enormous amounts of power. This is one of the most prominent arguments that have emerged against their use. Especially as many countries, including South Africa, begin moving their power generation from fossil fuels towards more renewable means.

Today, in efforts to begin addressing its high energy usage and to move away from Eskom’s crippled power grid, pan-African group Africa Data Centres (ADC) says it has struck a 20-year power purchase agreement with solar energy firm DPA.

The agreement between the two companies will see DPA supply 12MW of renewable solar energy for ADC facilities specifically in South Africa.

In a press statement, ADC CEO Tesh Durvasula explains that as demand for data continues to soar across the African continent, the data centre industry is rapidly expanding to meet it.

“However,” Durvasula continues, “while data centres are the foundation of the digital transformation process in Africa, they require reliable, cost-effective and preferably green power to operate.”

“Our partnership with DPA will also help in reducing our reliance on the strained South African national grid, enabling us to play our part in alleviating the current energy challenges facing the country”.

The clean energy is set to be delivered to ADC facilities partly from the solar farm DPA is developing near Bloemfontein to deliver the first 12MW required for Africa Data Centres facilities.

Additionally, ADC says it has a target to power all its data centres with clean, zero-carbon sources of energy.

“This new deal will provide over 30 percent of our South African data centres with renewable energy, a great stride forward in our aim to reach carbon neutrality,” adds Durvasula.

“By signing this latest PPA, we will reach our second milestone towards carbon neutrality. Our first milestone was to optimise our roof space with solar, and this latest deal will see us utilising the recently approved wheeling mechanism within South Africa’s municipalities,” the CEO concludes.

[Image – Jordan Harrison on Unsplash]