Latest news with #RaoufAbdel
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Equinix enters into multiple advanced nuclear deals to power data centers
By Laila Kearney NEW YORK: Major data center developer and operator Equinix has entered into several advanced nuclear electricity deals, including power purchase agreements for fission energy and pre-ordering microreactors for its operations, the company said on Thursday. Big Tech's race to expand technologies like generative artificial intelligence , which requires warehouse-like data centers that can require city-sized amounts of electricity at a single site, is driving up global energy consumption and raising fears about depleted power supplies. The voracious energy needs of data centers has led to a rising number of preliminary power deals to fuel data centers with advanced nuclear energy . Small modular reactors and other next-generation energy is not yet commercially available in the U.S., the world's data center hub. The Equinix announcement follows news that the U.S. Department of Energy earlier had selected an initial 11 projects for a pilot program seeking to develop high-tech test nuclear reactors with the aim of getting three of the projects operating in less than a year. Equinix's deals with advanced nuclear providers would supply more than 1 gigawatt of electricity to the company's data centers. Among the agreements, Equinix plans to procure 500 megawatts of energy from California-based Oklo's next-generation nuclear fission powerhouses. It also entered into a preorder agreement for 20 transportable microreactors from Radiant Nuclear, which is also based in California. In Europe, Equinix's agreements to eventually purchase power from next-generation nuclear developers, ULC-Energy and Stellaria. Equinix also entered into advanced fuel cell agreements with Bloom Energy, based in Silicon Valley. The agreements are part of Equinix's long-term planning for electricity to use for its data centers, as opposed to a quick-fix solution, Raouf Abdel, Equinix's executive vice president of global operations, told Reuters.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Equinix enters into multiple advanced nuclear deals to power data centers
By Laila Kearney Major data center developer and operator Equinix has entered into several advanced nuclear electricity deals, including power purchase agreements for fission energy and pre-ordering microreactors for its operations, the company said on Thursday. Big Tech's race to expand technologies like generative artificial intelligence , which requires warehouse-like data centers that can require city-sized amounts of electricity at a single site, is driving up global energy consumption and raising fears about depleted power supplies. The voracious energy needs of data centers has led to a rising number of preliminary power deals to fuel data centers with advanced nuclear energy . Small modular reactors and other next-generation energy is not yet commercially available in the U.S., the world's data center hub. The Equinix announcement follows news that the U.S. Department of Energy earlier had selected an initial 11 projects for a pilot program seeking to develop high-tech test nuclear reactors with the aim of getting three of the projects operating in less than a year. Equinix's deals with advanced nuclear providers would supply more than 1 gigawatt of electricity to the company's data centers. Among the agreements, Equinix plans to procure 500 megawatts of energy from California-based Oklo's next-generation nuclear fission powerhouses. It also entered into a preorder agreement for 20 transportable microreactors from Radiant Nuclear, which is also based in California. In Europe, Equinix's agreements to eventually purchase power from next-generation nuclear developers, ULC-Energy and Stellaria. Equinix also entered into advanced fuel cell agreements with Bloom Energy, based in Silicon Valley. The agreements are part of Equinix's long-term planning for electricity to use for its data centers, as opposed to a quick-fix solution, Raouf Abdel, Equinix's executive vice president of global operations, told Reuters.
Techday NZ
5 days ago
- Business
- Techday NZ
Equinix invests in new nuclear & fuel cell power for data centres
Equinix has entered into agreements with several next-generation nuclear and fuel cell technology providers to secure sustainable and reliable power for the expansion of its global portfolio of data centres. The partnerships include Oklo, Radiant, ULC-Energy, Stellaria, and Bloom Energy, forming a part of Equinix's strategy to diversify its power sources. This approach combines traditional utility agreements with advanced onsite generation, as well as investments in emerging nuclear and fuel cell technologies. Rising electricity demand Data from the International Energy Agency indicates that global electricity consumption is expected to increase by 4% annually through 2027. Factors such as electrification, data centre growth driven by artificial intelligence, and a resurgence in industrial manufacturing are driving this trend and placing additional requirements on existing utility providers and electrical grids. In response to these challenges, Equinix is investing in infrastructure upgrades, advanced power solutions, and alternative energy projects. The company is also committed to maintaining its target of achieving 100% clean, renewable energy across its global operations by 2030. Diversified power strategy Equinix's current initiatives include funding advanced transmission upgrades with utility partners, constructing new substations to improve grid reliability, and providing emergency backup solutions intended to benefit all users during power interruptions. The firm is utilising fuel cells and natural gas-powered solutions expected to enhance operations and add capacity to local grids. Looking forward, Equinix is supporting the development of advanced nuclear power technologies as a potential source of reliable, clean energy in the future. Raouf Abdel, Executive Vice President of Global Operations at Equinix, commented on the importance of reliable electricity for supporting the infrastructure behind modern digital services: Access to round-the-clock electricity is critical to support the infrastructure that powers everything from AI-driven drug discovery to cloud-based video streaming. As energy demand increases, we believe we have an opportunity and responsibility to support the development of reliable, sustainable, scalable energy infrastructure that can support our collective future. By working with our energy partners, we believe we can support the energy needs of our customers and communities around the world by helping to strengthen the grid and investing in new energy sources. Next-generation nuclear partnerships Equinix has become the first data centre operator to sign an agreement with a small modular reactor provider, procuring 500 megawatts (MW) of energy from Oklo's fission Aurora powerhouses, which can operate using nuclear waste. The company has also agreed to purchase 20 Kaleidos microreactors from Radiant, designed for rapid deployment and flexible onsite energy needs. In collaboration with ULC-Energy and Rolls-Royce SMR, Equinix has signed a Letter of Intent for a power purchase agreement of up to 250 megawatt electric (MWe) capacity to supply data centres in the Netherlands. ULC-Energy plans to deploy Rolls-Royce's 470MWe light water SMRs in the country, utilising technology recently chosen as the preferred bidder for the UK's first small modular reactors. Equinix has also entered a pre-order power agreement for 500MWe with Stellaria, applying molten salt Breed & Burn reactor technology. Developed in collaboration with Schneider Electric and the French Atomic Energy Agency, Stellaria's reactors feature continuous self-breeding of fuel and recycling of spent fuels. Fuel cell expansion Bloom Energy has supplied Equinix with fuel cell solutions for over a decade. The company plans to further expand its use of Bloom Energy's solid-oxide fuel cells, targeting more than 100MW deployed at over 19 data centres in six US states. Equinix states that these fuel cells are both efficient and have enabled the operator to avoid 285,000 metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions as well as significant water usage. Ali Ruckteschler, Senior Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer for Equinix, detailed some of the potential and challenges for delivering infrastructure to support AI and digital demand: The potential challenges to powering reliable and sustainable digital infrastructure are considerable. However, Equinix has always been at the forefront of energy innovation, signing the data centre industry's first agreement with a SMR provider and pioneering the use of fuel cells a decade ago. Powering AI infrastructure responsibly is a global priority. With Equinix's operational expertise, trusted supply chain, and close partnerships with the U.S. and global governments and utilities, we are poised to deliver safe, secure and reliable AI solutions for our customers and the communities we serve. Efficiency and sustainability measures Currently, Equinix has achieved 96% renewable energy coverage globally, with 250 of its sites operating exclusively with renewable energy in 2024. The company continues to advance efficient data centre design and operations. Since 2022, it has been phasing in ASHRAE A1 Allowable standards to allow wider operating temperature ranges, reducing the energy needed for cooling without impacting operational performance. Equinix also intends to deploy advanced liquid cooling technologies at more than 100 data centres across 45 metropolitan areas around the world. Equinix maintains its commitment to clean energy targets and the development of infrastructure capable of supporting continued growth in digital demand and artificial intelligence applications, while ensuring reliability, sustainability, and secure operations for its customers and the communities it serves.
The Star
5 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Equinix enters into multiple advanced nuclear deals to power data centers
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Equinix is pictured at the entrance of a data center in Pantin, outside Paris, France, December 7, 2016. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo NEW YORK (Reuters) -Major data center developer and operator Equinix has entered into several advanced nuclear electricity deals, including power purchase agreements for fission energy and pre-ordering microreactors for its operations, the company said on Thursday. Big Tech's race to expand technologies like generative artificial intelligence, which requires warehouse-like data centers that can require city-sized amounts of electricity at a single site, is driving up global energy consumption and raising fears about depleted power supplies. The voracious energy needs of data centers has led to a rising number of preliminary power deals to fuel data centers with advanced nuclear energy. Small modular reactors and other next-generation energy is not yet commercially available in the U.S., the world's data center hub. The Equinix announcement follows news that the U.S. Department of Energy earlier had selected an initial 11 projects for a pilot program seeking to develophigh-tech test nuclear reactors with the aim of getting three of the projects operating in less than a year. Equinix's deals with advanced nuclear providers would supply more than 1 gigawatt of electricity to the company's data centers. Among the agreements, Equinix plans to procure 500 megawatts of energy from California-based Oklo's next-generation nuclear fission powerhouses. It also entered into a preorder agreement for 20 transportable microreactors from Radiant Nuclear, which is also based in California. In Europe, Equinix's agreements to eventually purchase power from next-generation nuclear developers, ULC-Energy and Stellaria. Equinix also entered into advanced fuel cell agreements with Bloom Energy, based in Silicon Valley. The agreements are part of Equinix's long-term planning for electricity to use for its data centers, as opposed to a quick-fix solution, Raouf Abdel, Equinix's executive vice president of global operations, told Reuters. (Reporting by Laila Kearney; Editing by Stephen Coates)
