Vantage Data Centers Source Green Energy from SolarAfrica

Sterling and Wilson First Data Centre

In a significant development, Vantage Data Centers have signed a 20-year PPA with South Africa’s solar energy financing player – SolarAfrica – to enable Vantage to supplement the local grid that powers its Johannesburg (JNB1) data center campus with renewable energy. This investment will further drive the creation of renewable energy in the region by supporting the expansion of SolarAfrica’s De Aar solar project.

Vantage is a leading global provider of hyperscale data center campuses. The Johannesburg campus is slated to open in July.

Within SolarAfrica’s larger solar farm, Vantage’s investment will support the production of 87MWp of renewable energy. At its completion, Vantage’s Johannesburg data center campus will have 80MW of IT capacity, of which up to 33% is expected to be supported by the solar farm.

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Justin Jenkins, CEO of EMEA and President of the UK, Vantage, said, “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 center 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.”

Charl Alheit, SolarAfrica Director, stated, “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.”

He further added, “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.”

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The official statement of Vantage held that the agreement is a crucial step in its long-term commitment to sustainability. A year ago, Vantage announced that it will achieve net zero carbon emissions globally by 2030. The company views it as a milestone in its work to increase efficiencies and reduce environmental impacts at its hyperscale data center campuses globally.