Microsoft will purchase all solar power from a project in Singapore as the technology giant aims to achieve its goal of purchasing 100% carbon-free energy for its electricity needs by 2030.
Microsoft has signed a deal with Spain-based EDP Renewables to purchase 100 percent of the renewable energy fed into the grid from EDP Renewables’ SolarNova 8 project in Singapore.
The project involves the installation of up to 200 MWp of solar capacity in over 1,000 public residential buildings and over 100 government buildings in Singapore. It is both the largest solar project in Singapore and the largest initiative under the government’s SolarNova programme.
Launched in 2014, the SolarNova programme is a government-wide initiative to accelerate the deployment of photovoltaic (PV) systems in Singapore.
“By building our renewable energy portfolio with EDPR, we are ensuring we can continue to secure the supply of renewable energy to help us achieve Microsoft’s ambitious renewable energy and decarbonization goals,” said Adrian Anderson, GM, Renewables, Carbon Free Energy, Microsoft.
Earlier this year, Microsoft signed a global framework agreement to support approximately $10 billion worth of renewable energy projects and purchase power developed by Brookfield Asset Management.
The global renewable energy framework agreement will give Microsoft access to a pipeline of new renewable energy capacity to support growing demand for cloud services at home and at work, Brookfield said in May 2024.
In another attempt to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, Occidental Petroleum signed a deal with Microsoft last month to sell 500,000 tons of carbon credits from a carbon capture plant Oxy is building in Texas.
Microsoft urgently needs to reduce its carbon footprint as its AI offensive is driving emissions to new records. The company reported a 30% increase in emissions since 2020.
The rise of AI technologies and the massive expansion of data centers in America have led to the largest technology companies fighting for grid connections and a reliable power supply to power the technologies of the future.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
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