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Techday NZ
08-05-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Hitachi Vantara details gains in energy efficiency & carbon cuts
Hitachi Vantara has published its FY2024 Sustainability Report, providing details of progress in energy efficiency, carbon reduction and sustainable business practices. The report marks the company's second annual review of environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives, including achievements in energy-efficient infrastructure, reductions in carbon emissions and customer outcomes across several regions. The publication expands on last year's inaugural report and aims to illustrate the impact of Hitachi Vantara's efforts both internally and with external partners. Hitachi Vantara highlighted that a number of its storage solutions have received ENERGY STAR certification for energy efficiency, with several products ranking at the top within the ENERGY STAR NVSS Disk Online 4 category. The company's Virtual Storage Platform One Block (VSP One Block) achieved the highest position for energy-efficient storage systems. Sheila Rohra, Chief Executive Officer of Hitachi Vantara, said: "We're proud of the progress we've made since our inaugural Sustainability Report, but we know the journey doesn't end there. Our focus remains on highlighting how sustainability, particularly in the data center, can be both a key driver of innovation and a business differentiator - from reducing carbon emissions to helping businesses achieve energy savings, enhance operational efficiency and meet their broader sustainability goals." In terms of materials, Hitachi Vantara's flagship storage models now incorporate bezels made from 40% by weight of post-consumer recycled plastics, which are also flame-resistant and meet safety standards. The company has set a target to increase recycled content to 50% by FY2030 by utilising more recycled materials in additional components, including drive canisters and biomass-based parts, as well as continuing IT resource recycling programmes. Operationally, Hitachi Vantara disclosed that it used 78,211 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy in FY2024, with 90% sourced from grid electricity. Of this, 35% was derived from renewables such as solar and wind. The report also noted a 50% reduction in energy consumption at the company's Denver data centre following a facility refresh, which included infrastructure consolidation and improved airflow. This led to power usage effectiveness (PUE) improving from 1.6 to 1.3. The company has reaffirmed commitments to carbon neutrality for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by FY2030, with a further goal to reach carbon neutrality across the entire value chain by FY2050. To support ongoing sustainability goals into the new financial year, Hitachi Vantara has introduced a Sustainability Guarantee linked to its storage platforms. This offering, available with the VSP One range, enables business customers to track and optimise energy use and provides a guaranteed maximum power consumption target. The FY2024 Sustainability Report continues to outline Hitachi Vantara's intended direction on environmental commitments, sustainable operations and support for customers seeking cost-effective ways to reduce their environmental impact. Follow us on: Share on:
Techday NZ
24-04-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Hitachi Vantara report shows drive for lower data centre emissions
Hitachi Vantara has published its FY2024 Sustainability Report, detailing its environmental, social and governance progress and its ongoing work to reduce carbon emissions and advance responsible business practices in the technology sector. This second annual report outlines Hitachi Vantara's approach to balancing the increasing power demands driven by artificial intelligence and data-intensive workloads with efficiency, lower energy costs and environmental stewardship. The report highlights advancements in energy-efficient infrastructure, reductions in carbon emissions and improvements in business practices. Several of Hitachi Vantara's storage solutions have achieved ENERGY STAR certification for energy efficiency. The company's Virtual Storage Platform One Block (VSP One Block) has secured the top spot in the ENERGY STAR NVSS Disk Online 4 category, reflecting the company's focus on optimising hardware for lower energy consumption. As part of its operational initiatives, Hitachi Vantara's solar-powered distribution centre in the Netherlands now generates approximately 30% of its electricity on-site. The facility sources its remaining energy needs from verified renewable sources using Energy Attribute Certificates, ensuring fully renewable operation. The use of recycled materials forms part of the company's strategy to address sustainability in product design. Currently, 40% by weight of the bezels on the VSP One Block and File storage models are comprised of post-consumer recycled plastics. These materials meet flame-resistance safety standards and reduce environmental impact. The report indicates a target of increasing this recycled content to 50% by financial year 2030 by expanding the use of recycled materials in drive canisters and biomass-based parts. Hitachi Vantara has also reported progress in reducing the energy consumption of its facilities. In financial year 2024, the company consumed 78,211 MWh of energy, with 90% drawn from grid electricity and 35% from renewable energy sources including solar and wind. A key example is the 2024 refresh of the Denver data centre, which involved optimising layouts and infrastructure and enhancing airflow, leading to a 50% decrease in energy use and an improvement in Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) from 1.6 to 1.3. Commitments to carbon neutrality are central to Hitachi Vantara's sustainability strategy. The company aims to achieve carbon neutrality for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by FY2030, with a target of reaching carbon neutrality across its full value chain by FY2050. Sheila Rohra, Chief Executive Officer of Hitachi Vantara, said, "We're proud of the progress we've made since our inaugural Sustainability Report, but we know the journey doesn't end there. Our focus remains on highlighting how sustainability, particularly in the data centre, can be both a key driver of innovation and a business differentiator – from reducing carbon emissions to helping businesses achieve energy savings, enhance operational efficiency and meet their broader sustainability goals." The report draws on examples from customers who have seen direct benefits from Hitachi Vantara's solutions. La Molisana, an Italian pasta manufacturer, implemented VSP One Block, resulting in a 30% reduction in energy consumption and a 2.5 times improvement in response times. Maurizio Maio, Chief Information Officer of La Molisana, said, "Sustainability was an important factor in our selection of VSP One Block. Although the energy consumption of our data centre is relatively low compared to our manufacturing operations, we are keen to implement eco-friendly IT solutions. The energy-efficient VSP One Block aligns perfectly with our vision." In India, media company Malayala Manorama reported a 66% reduction in rack space and a 70% reduction in power and cooling costs after the deployment of a low-latency infrastructure from Hitachi Vantara. Similarly, Estonia's telecom provider Elisa Eesti has modernised its data infrastructure with Hitachi Vantara's Virtual Storage Platform, tripling energy efficiency and reducing its carbon footprint. The company has introduced a new Sustainability Guarantee with its storage platform, starting with VSP One, as its major sustainability commitment for FY2025. This guarantee enables businesses to track and optimise energy consumption and assures a maximum power consumption target to help organisations meet their sustainability objectives.
Techday NZ
23-04-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Hitachi Vantara ups energy efficiency & sets new carbon goals
Hitachi Vantara has released its FY2024 Sustainability Report, detailing progress on energy efficiency, carbon emissions reduction and responsible business practices over the past year. This second annual report presents Hitachi Vantara's advancements in areas such as energy-efficient infrastructure, the expansion of global greenhouse gas (GHG) management and the introduction of new sustainability tools designed to help customers monitor their energy and carbon usage. The company's storage solutions achieved ENERGY STAR certifications, with several models recognised for their strong performance and energy efficiency. Notably, the Virtual Storage Platform One Block (VSP One Block) secured the highest position in the ENERGY STAR NVSS Disk Online 4 category, with Hitachi Vantara holding the top two rankings for energy-efficient storage systems in this category. In its efforts to reduce reliance on non-renewable energy, Hitachi Vantara's solar-powered distribution centre in the Netherlands generated around 30% of its electricity needs from on-site solar, while the remainder was supplied through accredited Energy Attribute Certificates. This arrangement ensures that the facility is powered entirely by renewable sources. Hitachi Vantara reported that 40% by weight of the materials used in the bezels of its VSP One Block and File storage products are sourced from post-consumer recycled plastics. These components meet safety standards for flame resistance. The company has stated intentions to increase recycled content in these products to 50% by FY2030, extending sustainable material usage to drive canisters, biomass-based components and through ongoing IT resource recycling efforts. Within the reporting year, Hitachi Vantara consumed 78,211 MWh of energy, with 90% coming from grid electricity and 35% derived from renewable resources such as solar and wind. Following a data centre refresh at its Denver facility in 2024, the company reduced its energy consumption by half and improved its power usage effectiveness (PUE) from 1.6 to 1.3 by reorganising the physical layout, consolidating infrastructure and optimising airflow. The company has committed to achieving carbon neutrality for its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by FY2030 and has set a long-term goal of reaching carbon neutrality across its entire value chain by FY2050. In response to the challenges presented by the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence and data-intensive workloads, the report cites a 2024 Department of Energy analysis indicating that data centres accounted for 4% of US electricity use last year, with a projection to rise to 12% by 2028. The company asserts that operational costs and environmental impact can be constrained by prioritising efficiency alongside performance. "We're proud of the progress we've made since our inaugural Sustainability Report, but we know the journey doesn't end there," said Sheila Rohra, CEO of Hitachi Vantara. "Our focus remains on highlighting how sustainability, particularly in the data centre, can be both a key driver of innovation and a business differentiator – from reducing carbon emissions to helping businesses achieve energy savings, enhance operational efficiency and meet their broader sustainability goals." The report also highlights the degree to which Hitachi Vantara's solutions support customers' sustainability efforts. For example, Italian pasta producer La Molisana reported a 30% reduction in data centre energy consumption and a 2.5x improvement in response times following the deployment of VSP One Block storage, aligning with the company's sustainability and efficiency targets. Maurizio Maio, CIO of La Molisana, said, "Sustainability was an important factor in our selection of VSP One Block. Although the energy consumption of our data centre is relatively low compared to our manufacturing operations, we are keen to implement eco-friendly IT solutions. The energy-efficient VSP One Block aligns perfectly with our vision." In India, media company Malayala Manorama benefited from a new, lower-latency infrastructure, reducing rack space by 66% and cutting power and cooling costs by 70%. Estonia's Elisa Eesti, one of the country's largest telecommunications providers, saw a tripling of its energy efficiency and a notable reduction in its carbon footprint after modernising its infrastructure with Hitachi Vantara's Virtual Storage Platform. The FY2024 Sustainability Report also introduces a new Sustainability Guarantee, a commitment to be included with future storage platform offerings such as VSP One. Under this guarantee, customers are provided with mechanisms to track and optimise energy consumption, with assurances of a maximum power consumption target to support corporate sustainability objectives.
