By Steve Benson, SVP of Critical Operations
Sustainability in data centers is often viewed through the lens of major capital investments or shifting customer behavior. However, at Prime Data Centers, we’ve seen that impactful sustainability improvements can come from simple, practical operational changes. By focusing on what’s within our control, we’ve reduced emissions, cut costs, and enhanced operational efficiency – without the need for substantial capital expenditures or disrupting our operations.
Here’s how we’ve made sustainability a key part of our operations by exclusively purchasing Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) and HVO blends to fuel our U.S. backup generators. This straightforward change has brought significant operational and environmental benefits. We expect to deplete our existing stock of traditional diesel and be running exclusively on HVO and HVO blends as our main fuel supply for all U.S. backups by 2030.
1. Optimize Fuel Usage with HVO
The primary driver for switching from traditional diesel fuel to HVO was a significant reduction in fuel polishing, a time-consuming process required for diesel that costs between $10,000 and $30,000 annually, depending on your number of generators. HVO also remains more stable in storage without degrading over time. This directly reduces maintenance costs and operational complexity.
But the benefits go beyond cost savings. HVO burns cleaner than diesel, which means less soot and cleaner combustion. This not only improves the performance of our backup generators but also contributes to lower emissions. The change to HVO has led to substantial reductions in emissions, maintenance costs, and improvements in the reliability of our power systems.
2. Improve Generator Performance with HVO
Backup generators are critical for data center operations, especially during power outages. However, diesel generators often face challenges like water separation over time, leading to maintenance issues and downtime. We’ve significantly improved our generator operations by optimizing fuel usage with HVO, eliminating the need for fuel polishing and reducing maintenance requirements.
This change has made a noticeable difference in the reliability of our generators. Without the need for frequent fuel filtering, we can focus on more strategic operational improvements that enhance generator performance and minimize disruptions. Additionally, the cleaner combustion of HVO not only benefits the environment but also boosts operational efficiency. The result? Higher uptime and fewer interruptions, which are essential for maintaining the reliability our customers expect from our mission-critical data centers.
3. Simplify Operations to Lower Environmental Impact
Sustainability doesn’t always have to mean large-scale projects or expensive redesigns. In fact, it can be as simple as simplifying existing processes to reduce environmental impact. Switching to HVO is a perfect example of how a small operational change can make a significant difference.
The environmental impact is measurable. According to data from the California Air Resources Board and the U.S. Energy Information Administration, renewable diesel like HVO can reduce lifecycle CO₂ emissions by up to 70% compared to fossil diesel. At the point of combustion, it produces 34% less particulate matter, 12% less carbon monoxide, and 10% less nitrous oxides – meaningful reductions for both local air quality and our Scope 1 emissions reporting.
Additionally, the approach is scalable, meaning we can continue applying the same operational improvements as we grow our data center network. That being said, today, the infrastructure for HVO is not as robust as it is for traditional diesel. During emergency situations, we may need to rely on traditional diesel if HVO isn’t immediately available in a given market. By making our commitment to HVO, we are sending a signal to the market that there is demand for this more sustainable fuel. Our hope is that over time, it becomes more readily available across the country.
Final Thoughts
Sustainability is, and will remain, an important focus for Prime Data Centers. It’s why the EPA awarded our Sacramento and Dallas facilities with ENERGY STAR® certification, placing both facilities among the top 25% of data centers nationwide for energy efficiency.
But sustainability in data centers doesn’t need to be a complex, capital-intensive endeavor. By focusing on simple, targeted operational decisions, we’ve been able to significantly reduce our environmental impact, improve efficiency, and lower costs, all while maintaining the high level of reliability that our customers expect. These small but powerful operational changes prove that sustainability isn’t something that has to wait for the future, but something that can be achieved today.
As we continue to scale our operations, we can expand these sustainability efforts without increasing environmental impact. Sustainability in data centers is a journey, and it begins with the decisions we make right now.
Learn more and see our latest sustainability reports.
Sources: Environmental performance data sourced from the California Air Resources Board; Oregon Department of Environmental Quality; Washington State Department of Ecology; U.S. Energy Information Administration.
