Vantage Data Centers has announced a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with SolarAfrica to secure 87 MWp of solar energy for its JNB1 data centre campus in Johannesburg.
According to a statement, the agreement will enable Vantage to supplement the local grid that powers JNB1 with renewable energy. JNB1, located in Johannesburg’s Waterfall City, is due to open in July, comprising three facilities across 650,000 sqft, and providing 80MW of IT capacity – of which up to 33% is expected to be supported by the solar farm.
The investment will also support the expansion of SolarAfrica’s De Aar solar project, helping to enable the production of 87MWp of renewable energy. It is forecasted to reduce the emission of CO2 in the region by an additional 3.8 million tons over the lifetime of the agreement, Vantage 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 centre 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,” said Justin Jenkins, Chief Operating Officer of EMEA and President of the UK, Vantage Data Centers.
“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,” added Charl Alheit, SolarAfrica director.
“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.”
Vantage has said it aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions globally by 2030.
