Sify Technologies Limited one of India’s leading digital ICT solutions provider has announced a major commitment to renewable energy for its growing data centre portfolio in India.
The company recently concluded power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Vibrant Energy Holdings (“Vibrant”), a majority-owned subsidiary of Blue Leaf Energy Asia Pte. Ltd. (“Blueleaf Energy”) which is a portfolio company of Macquarie’s GIG.
The PPAs are for a total of 231MW of solar and wind energy capacity to power Sify’s latest hyperscale data centres, of which 67MW solar PPA had been signed in March 2021 and recently commissioned.
This partnership is the first step in a clear roadmap for the company to minimise its dependence on fossil fuels to power its fast-growing data centre business, dramatically reducing its carbon footprint, the company said.
“There is an intensifying narrative about adopting green energy. We decided to lead by action, as we always have done in the ICT space. With the constantly expanding need for world-class data centre facilities to meet the burgeoning data-centric transformation of Indian businesses, we believe that investing in clean energy sources to fuel this transformation is a social imperative. Sify is proud to be doing its part to help our customers become a part of this clean energy future,” said Raju Vegesna, Chairman, Sify.
By simultaneously investing in both solar and wind energy, Sify will soon be able to deliver most of the power required for its flagship data centres in Mumbai from renewable sources and intends to continue increasing renewable penetration across its nationwide footprint.
“As an early adopter of ESG guidelines, Sify has constantly pushed the envelope in the Data Centre space. This shift to renewables will deliver clear economic advantages, but it is also about proving the viability of adopting green energy solutions at an industrial scale,” said M P Vijay Kumar, CFO, Sify.
According to an India Brand Equity Foundation report, India is targeting about 450 Gigawatt (GW) of installed renewable energy capacity by 2030 about 280 GW (over 60 per cent) is expected from solar. As of September 2021, India had 101.53 GW of renewable energy capacity and represents 38 per cent of the overall installed power capacity.
“We are very excited by Vibrant’s continued growth in capacity to provide green energy solutions to businesses in India, supporting India’s decarbonisation,” said Oliver Lewis, Chairman of Vibrant Energy and Executive Director of GIG.
He further added that the partnership with Sify Technologies marks a new milestone on Vibrant’s journey of providing green energy and tailored solutions to meet the growing business demand.
“Vibrant is honored to partner with Sify in their journey to build sustainable data centre solutions in the Indian market. Vibrant is looking forward to continuing to work with Sify to support them in their 100 per cent renewable energy goals,” said Srini Viswanathan, CEO, Vibrant Energy.
