Digital Realty, a global provider of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions, signs five renewable electricity purchase agreements (PPA) in France and Spain. With these new agreements, Digital Realty adds 134 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity, bringing its worldwide total under contract to 1.4 gigawatts (GW). In France, Digital Realty has signed two 15-year wind power contracts with wpd, a renewable energy developer based in Germany. These projects involve small wind farms in Brittany and Hauts-de-France, with a total capacity of 24.6MW. Scheduled to come on stream at the end of 2025, these wind farms will take advantage of the considerable wind resourcesin these regions.
Local Impact and Sustainable Commitment
Fabrice Coquio, Vice President and President of Digital Realty in France, said, “Back in 2014, Digital Realty France chose to finance 100% of its power supply with renewable energy produced on French soil. Thanks to these two new contracts in Brittany and Hauts-de-France, we are making a progressive commitment to developing additional renewable energy capacity for Hexagone.” The projects in France will add around 58 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of renewable energy each year, equivalent to the annual consumption of 12,000 French households over a 15-year period. Housing over 550 customers in its 16 data centers in the Paris region and Marseille, Digital Realty continues to play a key role in the provision of critical infrastructure for operators, cloud providers and enterprises.
Solar development in Spain
At the same time, Digital Realty has signed a global contract for solar energy in Spain, consisting of three separate 12-year agreements. Developed by BRUC, a company specializing in solar energy, these projects are located in the provinces of Cadiz and Zaragoza. These agreements will generate around 347GWh of renewable energy per year, equivalent to the electricity consumption of 200,000 European households. Aaron Binkley, Vice President of Sustainability at Digital Realty, said, “The signing of these recent contracts in Spain and France is the result of the continued execution of Digital Realty’s sustainability strategy. We are committed to continuing to expand our renewable energy portfolio and progress towards our global sustainability goals.”
Sustainable Development Goals
Since 2020, all Digital Realty activities in Europe have been 100% covered by renewable energy. In 2020, the company became the first data center player of its size to join the Science-Based Targets (SBTi) initiative. This commitment aims to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 68% and its Scope 3 emissions by 24% by 2030. With over 120 data centers worldwide powered by 100% renewable electricity, Digital Realty continues to lead the industry towards sustainable solutions. In France, Digital Realty is also contributing to global carbon neutrality by having reduced and participated in the development of carbon sinks commensurate with its residual scopes 1 and 2 emissions. The company is now committed to a program to reduce its Scope 3 emissions by 24% per square meter of IT by 2030, involving its entire value chain.
Collaborations and Future Projects
Grégoire Simon, President of wpd onshore France, comments: “At wpd, we are proud to support our customers’ objectives to reduce their carbon footprint. PPA contracts offer cost-effective and predictable energy supply solutions for companies wishing to commit to the energy transition.” By adding significant renewable energy capacity, the company reinforces its commitment to its customers’ growing needs for critical infrastructure and reliable energy solutions.
