Kao Data to switch to HVO-fuelled backup generators

Kao Data has announced the successful transition of all UK data centre backup generators from diesel fuel to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) – becoming the first data centre operator in the UK to do so.

Changing over from diesel-fueled backup generators to HVO will not only propel Kao data centres to meet their green energy goals; it also sets a precedent for other data centre operators to follow in pursuing their own environmental goals.

The change from diesel to HVO in the backup generators at the Kao Data Centre Harlow campus was made possible by a partnership between Kao and Crown Oil. The HVO fuel will be supplied by Crown Oil and will help Kao eliminate up to 90% of net CO2 from backup generators. The change will also significantly reduce nitrogen oxide, particulate matter and carbon monoxide emissions.

According to Crown Oil, hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) is a high-quality fuel that is made from renewable sources. It has a storage life of ten times longer than diesel fuel, is biodegradable, and performs in both high and low temperatures.

Because it is essentially a renewable diesel fuel, changing from diesel to HVO requires no modification of existing infrastructure. This makes it an easy substitute for diesel fuel in generators, like those used at data centres.

Kao Data will replace 45,000 litres of data initially, and change to a full 750,000 when the Harlow campus is fully operational.

Gérard Thibault, Chief Technology Officer at Kao Data, noted that this change would be a key step in Kao’s efforts to reach Net Zero sustainability and demonstrate the company’s leadership in data centre sustainability.

“This move effectively eliminates fossil fuels from our data centre operations and helps us reduce Scope 3 emissions in our customers’ supply chain while delivering no degradation to the service they receive. Most importantly, it shows how our industry can take a simple and highly beneficial step forward for the good of the environment, ahead of COP26.”

COP26 is the UN international climate change forum, which will be held in Glasgow this November. Delayed from 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the upcoming COP26 is expected to be the largest UN climate conference to date, welcoming up to 30,000 participants.