PFALZKOM stands up for future-proof Data Centers
Commitment to the Climate Neutral Data Center Pact
Sustainability – for PFALZKOM, the Ludwigshafen-based data center operator, this has been one of the key issues for the future for years and a crucial aspect of its services in the areas of data centers, networks & connectivity, and managed services. In 2021, the company joined the Climate Neutral Data Center Pact. This Europe-wide association actively supports the goals of the EU Green Deal, which aims to make Europe the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Data centers play a key role in this effort. Members commit to operating their data centers in an energy-efficient manner using 100% clean energy from renewable sources by 2030 and to taking appropriate measures to achieve this. The initiative maintains regular communication with the European Commission.
Initiative sets itself high climate targets
For Jürgen Beyer, Managing Director, participating in the initiative is an important step that seamlessly builds on the company’s existing commitment: “Energy efficiency and sustainability are issues that have always been a top priority at our Data Centers. We are therefore pleased to be part of the Climate Neutral Data Center Pact and to exchange ideas at the European level on the sustainable operation of data centers. With this pact, PFALZKOM is taking the next step toward a sustainable future. And even today, we offer our business partners energy-efficient and – since we use only green electricity from renewable energy sources – climate-friendly data center operations, complemented by TÜV-certified high availability, security, and data protection compliance.”
The Climate Neutral Data Center Pact has several objectives. For example, the signatories’ voluntary commitment states that they will power their data centers with clean energy by 2030 at the latest and achieve specific energy efficiency targets. These are two criteria that the company already meets today: Since 2017, PFALZKOM’s data centers have been powered exclusively by 100% green electricity from renewable energy sources supplied by the parent company PFALZWERKE’s own power grid.
The industry-specific metric for data center energy efficiency – Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) – is also used as a benchmark. The initiative has set a PUE target: existing data centers are to achieve a PUE of 1.3 by 2030. PFALZKOM’s Rhein-Neckar II data center has actually been meeting this target for some time now, while DCRN I, with a PUE of less than 1.4, is already on the home stretch.
Pioneer in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region
As the first signatory from the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region, PFALZKOM is playing a pioneering role. “The initiative brings together major players such as the hyperscalers from Frankfurt, regional providers such as our partner data center EMC – Home of Data from Munich, and us in our shared pursuit of sustainable, low-emission data centers. We want to lead by example in our strong Rhine-Neckar economic region so that we can achieve significant results – for our customers, partners, and our planet,” adds Uwe Burre, Chief Financial Officer of PFALZKOM.
The goals of the Climate Neutral Data Center Pact
The signatories to the pact have made a voluntary commitment to five specific requirement criteria that are to be achieved by 2030 at the latest. These relate to a measurable, high energy efficiency standard for Data Center operations, power supply through the purchase of clean energy, ambitious water saving targets, the reuse, repair and recycling of servers, electrical equipment and other associated electrical components, as well as the investigation and subsequent implementation of practical, environmentally friendly and cost-efficient exhaust air utilization.
More detailed information on the Climate Neutral Data Center Pact can be found on the official website.