Digital Realty has teamed up with Schneider Electric on a circular economy initiative at its PAR6 data centre in Paris.
The project aims to prolong the lifespan of mission-critical systems at the site, including its Schneider Electric Low Voltage (LV) and Medium-Voltage (MV) electrical equipment, switchgear and UPS, while reducing carbon emissions and e-waste. The aim of the project is to create a circularity roadmap for Digital Realty to replicate across its sites in Europe.
The initiative will reuse key pieces of electrical infrastructure and components, while initiating recycle and refurbish programmes to reduce the Digital Realty’s e-waste and Scope 3 emissions – as well as removing high impact greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as SF6. The plan will also see a battery rejuvenation assessment to extend the lifecycle of its VRLA UPS batteries.
Over the next three to five years, the project aims help Digital Realty save and avoid 50%-70% of the embodied carbon within its LV, MV and three-phase UPS equipment.
“We are constantly adapting our strategy and operations to meet the challenges of sustainable development: the circularity of equipment, in this case electrical equipment, is one of the major levers for decarbonising our activities and our value chain. This is where our collaboration with Schneider Electric, a partner of over 20 years, really comes into its own,” said Fabrice Coquio, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Digital Realty in France.
“Being a good global citizen isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s good business sense, and as we move forwards, our ambition is to help customers meet and exceed their environmental goals by leveraging our services.”
The collaboration was kicked off with a circularity consultation study conducted by Schneider Electric in 2022 – beginning with its electrical distribution and UPS systems – that outlined a series of sustainability recommendations for Digital Realty’s PAR5 data centre.
The consultation also detailed a deployment approach which would digitise, prolong, refurbish, and reuse mission-critical equipment with the help of local partners, including the take-back, replacement and responsible disposal of its physical infrastructure assets.
“With European data centre growth reaching a record high, driven by the adoption of AI, it’s imperative that operators across the region explore and innovate their approaches to sustainability,” added Marc Garner, Senior Vice President, Secure Power division, Schneider Electric, Europe.
“As we look to the future and digital demands proliferate, its vital that technological advancement moves hand-in-hand with circular economy principles – ensuring we build the data centres of the future responsibly for the next generation.”
The project has already yielded tangible results, with 3.7 tons of CO2 savings achieved in the first three months through modernisation, refurbishments, and replacements to UPS equipment. Further emissions reductions are anticipated with the deployment of Schneider Electric’s SF6-free MV switchgear.
