Belgian data-center specialist relies on 100% renewable diesel for emergency-power generators

Photo: LCL

Neste Corp. announced Dec. 19 that it is supplying data-center specialist LCL with renewable diesel for its emergency-power generators.

With this, LCL becomes the first in its sector in Belgium to start using Neste MY Renewable Diesel for its emergency-power generators, according to Neste.

The fuel will initially be used in LCL Brussels-West facilities in Aalst, northwest of Brussels.

LCL has invested in six new Caterpillar emergency-power generators, which will operate on 100 percent renewable diesel.

In the next phase, LCL plans to have all emergency-power generators in its five data centers in Belgium operating on Neste MY Renewable Diesel.

The emergency-power generators are only used during monthly tests, when the electricity is cut or during real power outages. During tests, the LCL technicians verify that all backup systems continue to operate efficiently, correctly and quickly.

“Switching to Neste MY Renewable Diesel enables an up to a 90 percent reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions from the generators,” said Laurens van Reijen, managing director of LCL Data Centers. “With the volume of renewable diesel we are sourcing for emergency-power generators, we will reach a reduction of 72 tons of CO2-equivalent. We are striving hard to be an example for the other Belgian and European players in our sector.”

Tim Bisson, director of Eneria Belux, a specialist in renewable-energy supply and emergency-power installations in Belgium, said, “We were delighted to receive the request from the data center specialist LCL to ensure its emergency-power generators operate on Neste MY Renewable Diesel. We tested operating the Caterpillar generators with fossil diesel, with renewable diesel, also known as HVO100, and then with a blend of the two fuels. Our conclusion was that whatever fuel was used, the performance—the power and reactivity—of the generators remained the same.”

Peter Zonneveld, an executive with Neste, added, “Companies like LCL can reduce their climate emissions in an instant by just changing the fuel. With our renewables production capacity increasing to 5.5 million tons by the end of 2023 and further to 6.8 million tons by the end of 2026, we are well-equipped to help our customers around the world to make the switch to more sustainable solutions.”