Jul 29, 2021 | Posted by MadalineDunn
Scala Data Centers has announced that it has inked a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), a long-term energy purchase agreement with ENGIE Brasil Energia. This agreement, worth approximately 250mn reais (US$48.5 million), will see over 1,600 GWh of clean energy supplied by 2033.
Speaking about the deal, Marcos Peigo, co-founder and CEO of Scala, said: "We focus on strategic partnerships that can scale and maintain our operation with the lowest possible environmental impact, without giving up the high quality and competitiveness that are recognized differentials of our company."
This contract reinforces the company's commitment to green energy and follows it receiving carbon neutral certification at the end of June 2021.
Talking about the impact of the deal, Eduardo Sattamini, CEO of ENGIE Brasil Energia, added: "Offering solutions to decarbonize our customers' operations is in line with ENGIE's purpose of acting to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon neutral society. Our partnership with Scala demonstrates the importance of sustainability as an added value for business prosperity, in harmony with the future of people and the planet."
Press release:
SAO PAULO, July 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Scala Data Centers - a sustainable hyperscale data center platform, founded by DigitalBridge - the digital infrastructure investment holding company of DigitalBridge Group, Inc. (NYSE:DBRG) - signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), a long-term energy purchase agreement, with ENGIE Brasil Energia, the Brazilian's largest private energy producer. The contract – which extends Scala's commitment to 100% renewable energy by five years – guarantees the supply of more than 1,600 GWh of clean energy by 2033, a volume sufficient to supply, for one year, a city of around 700,000 people.
Marcos Peigo, co-founder and CEO of Scala, highlights that the agreement with ENGIE reinforces the company's non-negotiable commitment to base its operational growth on fully sustainable premises. "We focus on strategic partnerships that can scale and maintain our operation with the lowest possible environmental impact, without giving up the high quality and competitiveness that are recognized differentials of our company", the executive said.
"Offering solutions to decarbonize our customers' operations is in line with ENGIE's purpose of acting to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon neutral society. Our partnership with Scala demonstrates the importance of sustainability as an added value for business prosperity, in harmony with the future of people and the planet", Eduardo Sattamini, CEO of ENGIE Brasil Energia, added.
Scala Data Centers leads the sustainability agenda among information technology (ICT) organizations in Latin America. Sustainability has been in the company's DNA since its foundation, which has allowed Scala to be the first Latin American data center company to operate 100% with renewable and certified energy. In a segment that has the carbon footprint of operations as a major challenge, Scala has also been a pioneer in obtaining carbon neutrality certification since its foundation, a condition that is still unique in the data center industry.
Data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) state that, in the last five years, 50% of the PPAs contracted around the world came from global technology players. Public announcements show that since 2007, Google has been using renewable energy and managed, 10 years later, to zero its global carbon emissions. More recently, Amazon has committed to zero carbon emissions by 2040 and to use 100% renewable energy by 2030. Oracle has expanded its commitment to sustainability, promising to leverage its global operations using 100% renewable energy until 2025.
As a major energy consumer in Brazil, Scala understands its role as a transforming agent, enabling and promoting the transition to a low-carbon economy. "Our commitment is to deliver value through a robust data center operation that respects and preserves the environment. In this sense, we are happy and proud of Scala's alignment with the agenda established by major global companies in the segment. And we hope that our leading role can inspire other Latin American companies to follow the same path", Peigo stated.
