Global digital infrastructure company Equinix has signed its first power purchase agreement (PPA) in India with CleanMax, a leading renewable energy provider in Asia’s Commercial and Industrial (C&I) sector backed by Brookfield. Under this agreement, Equinix and CleanMax will develop a 33 MW captive power plant in Maharashtra to supply renewable energy for Equinix’s expanding portfolio of data centers in Mumbai. This collaboration will contribute to India’s renewable energy goals and provide 100% renewable energy coverage for Equinix’s facilities in the region.
The project will feature 26.4 MW of solar capacity and 6.6 MW of wind capacity, with an operational target of 2025. Once fully commissioned, the energy generated will support Equinix’s International Business Exchange (IBX®) data centers in Mumbai. This investment aligns with Equinix’s sustainability goals, driven by the rising demand for digital infrastructure in India, particularly with the increasing adoption of AI technologies in Mumbai.
Manoj Paul, Managing Director of Equinix India, highlighted the significance of the partnership, stating, “This PPA with CleanMax reinforces our commitment to sustainability and provides our Indian customers with 100% renewable energy for their deployments at Equinix. As a market leader, we are dedicated to supporting India’s renewable energy ambitions.”
Raouf Abdel, Executive Vice President of Global Operations at Equinix, echoed these sentiments, adding, “Digital infrastructure is essential to the global economy, and as demand for data centers grows, sustainable energy solutions are crucial. This partnership not only supports the Indian market but also advances Equinix’s global commitment to sustainability.”
This PPA marks Equinix’s 23rd renewable energy contract globally, with similar agreements established in Australia and Singapore earlier in 2024. Collectively, these PPAs are set to contribute over 3.1 million MWh of renewable energy annually to grids worldwide, including those in the US, Australia, France, Finland, India, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Singapore.
Equinix’s focus on energy efficiency extends beyond PPAs. In 2023, the company invested $77.5 million globally in energy efficiency projects, reducing energy usage by 66,862 MWh and improving Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) by 8.8%.
CleanMax, with a renewable portfolio exceeding 2 GW and serving over 400 clients across Asia, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration. Kuldeep Jain, Managing Director of CleanMax, remarked, “This partnership is a pivotal step in decarbonizing digital infrastructure and demonstrates how corporates can balance growth with sustainable operations.”
As CleanMax begins supplying energy to Equinix’s Maharashtra facility, the companies plan to explore further sustainability solutions, particularly for Equinix’s AI-ready data centers in India and beyond.
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