LCL Data Centers has commissioned a 13.5 MVA standby power solution at its LCL Brussels-West data centre which operates on 100% hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel.
LCL worked with local Caterpillar supplier Eneria to design, install, test and commission the solution, which utilises of six Cat 3516B diesel generator sets.
According to Caterpillar, the LCL Brussels-West data centre, located in Aalst, is now the first data centre in the country to use biofuels for standby power operation.
“With our deep roots in Belgium, we are committed to supporting environmentally responsible initiatives that create a better world,” said Laurens van Reijen, Managing Director of LCL.
“Our collaboration with Eneria and Caterpillar has demonstrated the viability of HVO100 in our standby power systems. We’re strongly committed to becoming carbon-neutral by the end of this decade, and we’ve launched numerous initiatives across our operations to help us achieve this goal.”
Eneria will provide ongoing and service maintenance under a Cat Customer Value Agreement (CVA).
“We were delighted to receive the request from the data centre specialist LCL to ensure its emergency power generators operate on HVO100, a renewable diesel fuel. We tested the operation of Cat generator sets with traditional diesel, HVO100, and a blend of these fuels. We concluded that the power and reactivity performance of the generators remained the same regardless of the fuel used,” said Tim Bisson, Director of Eneria Belux, a specialist in renewable energy supply and emergency power installations in Belgium.
LCL aims to convert the standby power solutions at all its data centres to operate on HVO over the next two years.
“For over a decade, Caterpillar has enabled operation on renewable fuels that helps our customers achieve their climate-related objectives,” added Bart Myers, Vice President for Caterpillar’s Large Electric Power Division. “The standby system installed by Eneria for LCL demonstrates the powerful combination of our advanced technologies, the expertise of the Cat dealer network, and a forward-looking customer-driven perspective to make a difference.”
Last year, LCL expanded its solar photovoltaic capabilities at its Wallonia One data centre in Gembloux, which will generate up to 1.6 MW of power once complete.
This new standby power system was installed as part of LCL’s €15.5 million expansion in Aalst, during which the company achieved the Uptime Institute’s Tier III certifications for design and construction.
