Google’s UK Operations To be 90% Carbon-Free By 2025

(CTN NEWS) – GOOGLE – By 2025, Google UK plans to operate at, or near, 90% carbon-free energy hourly, up from 67% today.

Thanks to a new offshore wind energy deal with ENGIE – 100 MW of carbon-free energy from the Moray West offshore wind farm.

This accomplishment moves Google closer to its broad objective of running its UK headquarters and cloud regions entirely on carbon-free energy by 2030.

By attaining this objective, cloud regions that operate on carbon-free energy will power every Gmail message received, every Search query made, and every YouTube video viewed.

With the help of this Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), the UK will be recognized as one of the world’s cleanest cloud regions, not only in Europe.

Given the rapid growth of computing and the increasing number of British companies looking to use Google Cloud to transform their operations digitally, this is especially timely.

When the PPA goes operational in 2025, the UK will be one of six Google Cloud regions—along with Finland, Iowa, Montreal, Spain, and Toronto—that operate at or close to 90% CFE hourly.

Deals like this in carbon-free energy are essential to expanding the UK’s renewable energy industry because they finance the development of new sites, increasing the amount of renewable energy available on the grid.

These agreements help boost the nation’s renewable energy resources, promote long-term energy security objectives, and ensure financing for a large portion of the initial cost.

Deals like this help fulfill Scotland’s goal of being a key hub for offshore wind innovation, research, and development, as well as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s “pledge to make the UK a renewable energy superpower.”

“The concern about climate change and energy security are growing throughout the UK and Europe, according to Matt Brittin, president of Google EMEA.

We share this concern and think technology can help find a solution by lowering our emissions and those of others.

With this increased investment in UK renewable energy, we’ll be using at least 90% carbon-free energy by 2025, which puts us that much closer to our 2030 target of operating solely on such energy.”

Thanks to two new clean energy projects, @Google cloud regions and offices in the UK and Spain are on track to operate at or near 90% carbon-free energy in 2025. Learn more from @MattBrittin ⬇️https://t.co/qefpTcvxaC

— Devon Swezey (@DevonSwezey) November 24, 2022

The senior EVP of ENGIE responsible for renewable energy, energy management, and nuclear activities, Paulo ALMIRANTE, stated:

“We are delighted to support Google as it works toward its carbon-free target.

Thanks to Ocean Winds’ rapid growth as a significant player in PPAs, ENGIE designs cutting-edge green corporate PPAs for off-takers from offshore wind, much as we do for our onshore renewable projects.

This agreement highlights the robustness of the Group‘s renewable portfolio, which includes 37 GW of renewable assets and is a significant benefit for our clients’ decarbonization strategy.”

This accomplishment is the most recent step in Google’s plan to completely decarbonize by 2030.

The company’s three main areas of concentration for its climate action strategy are:

First, improving the sustainability of Google’s operations, including through advancements in energy-sourcing technology like Google Cloud and ENGIE’s artificial intelligence project that maximizes wind energy usage.

For example, Google has teamed up with C40 Communities and London Mayor Sadiq Khan to develop a first-of-its-kind 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy for Cities pilot program.

Another strategy is to assist other organizations and cities as they decarbonize.

Thirdly, giving consumers the tools they need to make more eco-friendly decisions. With the introduction of fuel-efficient routing, users now have the opportunity to select routes that are designed to use less fuel.

To aid consumers in swiftly finding reliable information on energy conservation and local support, Google also released an energy information feature on Search earlier this month across Europe.

The PPA is the most recent of Google’s numerous long-term investments in the UK. We revealed plans to increase our presence in the UK and purchase our office in Central Saint Giles in January of this year.

We celebrated the topping out of our new location in King’s Cross in July.

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