Princeton Digital Group switches to renewable diesel in data-center backup generators

Princeton Digital Group, a leading data-center provider in the Asia-Pacific region, announced Sept. 10 a strategic partnership with Pertamina Patra Niaga to roll out hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), also known as renewable diesel, as a replacement for diesel fuel across its Indonesian operations.

The move marks a significant step in PDG’s commitment to reducing its scope 1 carbon footprint and advancing sustainable data-center operations in the region.

HVO is a renewable biofuel derived from 100 percent vegetable oil, animal fat or used cooking oil.

It closely resembles fossil diesel but burns cleaner, cutting greenhouse-gas emissions and particulate matter significantly.

By switching to HVO for backup generators, PDG expects to reduce carbon emissions by up to 70 percent to 90 percent while also improving local air quality by lowering harmful pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulates.

“Our partnership with Pertamina Patra Niaga is a testament to PDG’s commitment to responsible and sustainable growth across Asia Pacific,” said Varoon Raghavan, chief operating officer and co-founder of PDG. “As Indonesia’s digital economy rapidly expands, PDG is enabling this transformation with data centers built for scale and sustainability. The deployment of HVO in Indonesia marks a critical step in our strategy to reduce scope 1 emissions and accelerate the energy transition, while setting a new benchmark for sustainable digital infrastructure in the region.”

PDG’s adoption of HVO not only aligns with Indonesia’s decarbonization goals but also advances broader global efforts to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels toward cleaner, more sustainable alternatives.

“This collaboration with PDG is a significant step in our mission to accelerate Indonesia’s sustainability journey through strategic partnerships,” said Alimuddin Baso, the director of central marketing and trading at PT Pertamina Patra Niaga, adding that Pertamina Patra Niaga is proud to support PDG with locally produced HVO. “As an energy-solution provider and decarbonization partner, Pertamina Patra Niaga, through our ‘Pertamina One Solution’ platform, not only delivers cleaner fuels but also provides integrated logistics and infrastructure support. By providing cleaner fuels to critical infrastructure such as data centers, we are helping reduce emissions in a rapidly growing industry, while also advancing Indonesia’s 2060 net-zero goal and energy transition.”

As a commercial and trading subholding of PT Pertamina (Persero), Indonesia’s state-owned energy company, Pertamina Patra Niaga has been instrumental in ensuring the availability and scalability of HVO supply in-country.

“Through this collaboration, PDG and Pertamina Patra Niaga aim to set a new standard for responsible energy use in the data-center sector,” PDG stated.

The initiative is part of PDG’s broader commitment to achieving net-zero scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.