Google has introduced its largest-ever deal to buy offshore wind energy for its information facilities in Europe, signing energy buy agreements to assist two new wind farms off the coast of the Netherlands.
It is a part of Google’s plan to match its whole information heart electrical energy consumption with clear vitality era, 24/7, by 2030. To do this, the corporate might want to assist supply extra renewable vitality, together with offshore wind, which pulses by way of energy grids. the place it operates. It shared the “subsequent step” of that plan for Europe immediately, the place it says it is including greater than 700 megawatts of unpolluted vitality capability to the grid.
A lot of this new capability will come from the pair of latest offshore wind farms within the Netherlands, the place Google operates two of its 24 information facilities. The ability buy agreements are with the CrossWind and Ecowende consortia, that are joint ventures between vitality firms Shell and Eneco.
“It is a part of Google’s plan to match its whole information heart electrical energy consumption with clear, 24/7 energy era by 2030.”
Coupled with Google’s earlier energy buy contracts, the corporate says its Dutch information facilities can attain 90 p.c clear vitality this 12 months. Google additionally introduced decrease bids to purchase renewable vitality from onshore wind and photo voltaic farms in Italy, Poland and Belgium.
Be aware that Google plans to Match its electrical energy use with carbon-free vitality purchases. It is not as if the information facilities themselves will run completely on renewable vitality, which accounts for about 40 p.c of the Netherlands’ electrical energy manufacturing.
When tech firms say they run on renewable vitality, what they often imply is that they pay for renewable vitality certificates (RECs). A renewable vitality generator can promote RECs for each megawatt-hour of electrical energy a wind farm generates. This income ought to assist the event of latest clear vitality initiatives.
However the reputation of RECs has led to a conundrum. Falling costs for RECs imply they typically do not usher in sufficient cash to drive growth new renewable vitality initiatives—which may defeat the aim for those who do not add capability to the grid.
Google and different tech firms, together with Microsoft, try to beat this drawback by committing to purchase carbon-free vitality domestically each hour. As a substitute of matching their electrical energy consumption with renewable vitality purchases on an annual foundation, they decide to paying for renewable vitality that’s generated close by on the similar time their techniques are working. That is pushing the native energy grid to extend its capability to generate and retailer clear vitality across the clock.
The offshore wind trade particularly might actually use the assist as rising prices have compelled builders to close down initiatives in Europe and the US, the place Google owns essentially the most information facilities.