The temporary measure is intended to guarantee the continuity of its operations
Microsoft is relying on natural gas to power one of its data centers in Mexico in lieu of a full grid connection.
The cloud giant has been authorized to temporarily operate with gas generators in at least one of its data centers located in the municipality of Colón, in the state of Querétaro, as a temporary solution to the inability to secure a full connection to the electricity grid, according to a report by Xataca.
The company inaugurated Mexico Central, its first hyperscale cloud data center region in the country, last year.
However, due to the lack of necessary electrical infrastructure resulting from the construction deadlines required in its contract with the Federal Electricity Commission, Microsoft requested that the Mexican Ministry of the Environment temporarily use gas generators to supply one of its facilities in Colón.
The provisional authorization of seven gas generators is intended to cover about 70 percent of the center's energy demand for approximately 12 hours a day for at least four months to ensure continuous operations until the electrical connection is operational.
Microsoft has committed to powering its electrical operations with 100 percent renewable energy by 2025, in addition to achieving negative carbon emissions by 2030 and eliminating its historical footprint by 2050. Experts have pointed out that prolonged use of these temporary measures could affect its sustainability goals.
Mexico has 166 operational data centers, according to the Mexican Association of Data Centers, including facilities of Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, and Google, which have invested more than $7 billion in the country since 2020.
Source: DCD
