In Short:
Africa Data Centres, a subsidiary of Cassava Technologies, has started building a solar farm in Free State in partnership with DPA Southern Africa to address South Africa’s energy crisis. The farm’s goal is to provide renewable energy to data centres, starting with the one in Cape Town. This move will help Africa Data Centres to achieve carbon neutrality and reduce strain on the local grid.
Data storage and services group Africa Data Centres, a subsidiary of Cassava Technologies, has started the construction of a solar farm in the Free State in partnership with DPA Southern Africa. The construction of the plant is part of a 20-year power purchase agreement signed in March 2023 with DPA Southern Africa (SA), a joint company of the French utility EDF, aimed at addressing South Africa’s energy crisis.
Solar Farm Construction Begins
The objective of the Free State farm is to provide renewable energy to Africa Data Centres’ sites, starting with the carrier-neutral data centre in Cape Town, the CPT1 facility.
Africa Data Centres stated, “Today’s announcement represents a significant step in our initiative to power South African data centres sustainably, furthering our goal of achieving carbon neutrality. The first phase involves building the 12 MW solar infrastructure to power our Cape Town data centre, with later phases expanding to our Johannesburg data centres.”
Sustainable Energy for Data Centres
According to Africa Data Centres, the first phase will deliver power to its CPT1 facility, while the second phase will supply power to JHB1 and JHB2 once wheeling agreements with relevant municipalities are finalized.
“In addition to sourcing renewable energy, our commitment to an efficiency strategy has earned us the internationally recognized ISO50001 certification for the efficient operation of our data centres,” the company mentioned.
“Data centres globally are under scrutiny for their reliance on grid power and renewables, and Africa is no different. Africa Data Centres is actively tackling this issue by generating renewable energy, easing the burden on the local grid,” Africa Data Centres added.
