Scala Data Centers, a leading Latin American platform of sustainable data centres in the hyperscale market, recently celebrated the success of its Proof of Concept (POC) confirming the technical feasibility of using Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil (HVO), known as green diesel, in its Caterpillar backup generators.
This innovation, pioneering in Latin America, reinforces Scala’s leadership in adopting responsible and sustainable practices.
Derived from renewable sources like vegetable oils, green diesel undergoes a hydro-treatment process, transforming it into a high-quality fuel with reduced environmental impact. Replacing fossil diesel with HVO can decrease greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85%, consolidating Scala’s commitment to corporate sustainability.
During the POC – conducted by Scala’s Center of Excellence in Engineering (CoE) in collaboration with the Operations Team and Sotreq, Caterpillar’s dealer in Brazil – HVO demonstrated excellent performance in backup generators, maintaining critical resilience of data centres without requiring changes to existing equipment.
“The transition to HVO aligns perfectly with our strategy to ensure continuous and sustainable operations without compromising the quality and reliability our customers expect from us,” said Agostinho Villela, Chief Technology Officer, Scala Data Centers.
“We closely monitored Scala’s test on Caterpillar equipment in a pioneering initiative in Latin America,” added Mauricio Garcia, Director of Sotreq’s Power Unit. “The use of HVO in generators opens up a universe of possibilities, in addition to ensuring lower maintenance costs, preserving equipment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
While there have been significant strides in technical and environmental advancements, Scala Data Centers has acknowledged the current economic challenges surrounding the implementation of HVO in operations within the Latin American context, as it is 3x more expensive than diesel.
Scala closely monitors market trends, hoping to identify what could make the use of HVO economically viable on a larger scale. By taking the lead in this endeavour, Scala positions itself as an industry pioneer and encourages broader market participation in the direction we advocate. It anticipates that these movements will raise awareness within the supply chain about the substantial demand potential for HVO, prompting stakeholders to explore more attractive commercial terms conducive to its widespread adoption. Scala’s aim is to stimulate the industry to envision and realise the future benefits of sustainable energy solutions.
“Green diesel is more than an alternative to fossil diesel; it is a fundamental piece in our vision of a sustainable future. We look forward to beginning the transition to HVO as it becomes economically viable, continuing to lead by example in sustainable data centre management,” said Christiana Weisshuhn, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer, Scala Data Centers.
“This proof of concept reinforces our unwavering commitment to providing excellent services to our customers, in an aspect that is fundamental to them,” said Eugênio Cruz, Data Center Operations VP, Scala Data Centers. “In addition to reducing emissions, green diesel offers additional advantages, as tank cleaning and rigorous quality controls, which are necessary when using current biodiesel, will no longer be required, ensuring high availability of our sites.”
When HVO enters commercial-scale utilisation, the plan is to begin replacing the fuel in its tanks. This allows Scala to spearhead the transition to cleaner energy solutions and set new standards for sustainability in the data centre sector.
This advancement by Scala Data Centers sets new sustainability benchmarks in the data centre industry and signals a paradigm shift in global industrial practices. Scala has established itself as a beacon of innovation by demonstrating that cutting-edge technology and environmental responsibility can harmoniously coexist.
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