At Google, we all know that local weather change is prime of thoughts for a lot of of our customers, with search curiosity for “power disaster” hitting an all-time excessive in 2023. That’s why we’re dedicated to creating sustainable options for our customers, companies, governments and our personal operations.
Right now, we’re saying energy buy agreements for greater than 700 megawatts of fresh power — together with our largest offshore wind initiatives thus far in The Netherlands. Consequently, over the subsequent couple of years, our operations are projected to succeed in greater than 90% carbon-free power in The Netherlands, Italy and Poland, and near 85% in Belgium. This can be a important step in direction of our purpose to function on 24/7 carbon-free power in all knowledge facilities and campuses in Europe.
To handle the local weather disaster and safe secure, inexpensive entry to power, we have to transition from fossil fuels to carbon-free power sources. Applied sciences like photo voltaic and wind are a key a part of this transition.
Our largest offshore wind initiatives thus far
Windmills and The Netherlands go hand in hand. They had been used for hundreds of years to empty lakes and marshes that affected the land. Now, they play an necessary function within the Dutch transition from fossil fuels to carbon-free power assets.
Right now, we’re additionally saying our largest offshore wind challenge ever. Along with the present energy buy agreements we now have beforehand signed in The Netherlands, these initiatives will assist our Dutch knowledge facilities and places of work attain greater than 90% carbon-free power in 2024.
We’ve signed energy buy agreements with Shell and with Eneco, homeowners of the Crosswind & Ecowende joint ventures, to help 478 megawatts of carbon-free power capability with two new-to-the-grid offshore wind farms: HKN V and HKW VI. These agreements help the event of those subsidy-free offshore wind farms, that are anticipated to contribute to about six % of the nation’s annual electrical energy consumption and can foster expertise innovation and ecological improvement.
Further carbon-free power throughout Europe
Our ambition to function on carbon-free power across the clock by 2030 requires clear power options in each grid the place we function. Right now, we’re additionally saying inexperienced power offers in Italy, Poland and Belgium that may convey us nearer to creating our ambition a actuality and contribute to the decarbonization of Europe’s electrical energy techniques.
In Italy, we’ve entered into our first long-term Energy Buy Settlement to help an onshore wind power challenge with 47 megawatts of fresh power technology capability with Italian power firm ERG. Our present projections point out that, as soon as operational, this settlement will assist our places of work in Italy, in addition to our Milan and Turin cloud areas, to succeed in greater than 90% carbon-free power on an hourly native foundation in 2025.
Following our first energy buy settlement in Poland final 12 months, we’re saying two further agreements for 106 megawatts of photo voltaic technology capability with GoldenPeaks Capital. It will add clear power to the grid that our projections point out will assist our places of work and cloud area in Poland obtain greater than 90% carbon free power in 2025.
Lastly, we’re saying two new inexperienced power offers in Belgium, which our present projections point out will assist us function our places of work and knowledge facilities within the nation close to 85% carbon-free power on an hourly native foundation in 2024. With these energy buy agreements, we’re serving to convey 11 new onshore wind farms, developed by Aspiravi and Luminus, to the grid for a complete capability of 84 megawatts.
Creating greener and extra resilient electrical energy grids in Europe
These efforts are a part of our dedication to speed up the decarbonization of the world’s electrical energy techniques, a core focus of our bold aim to run our knowledge facilities and workplace campuses on 24/7 carbon-free power on each grid the place we function by 2030.
At a time when the world depends increasingly more on digital companies, Cloud computing and AI applied sciences, it’s extra necessary than ever to supply entry to expertise effectively and sustainably. That’s why we proceed to spend money on options that may speed up the decarbonization of electrical energy grids, and scale back the stress on native electrical energy grids by shifting work to different instances and locations, whereas sustaining the velocity, security and responsiveness you count on from Google.
To be taught extra about our sustainability efforts, go to https://sustainability.google.
