Sabey Data Centers pilots renewable diesel for backup power at Austin, Texas, site
Sabey Data Centers announced Oct. 29 that it is piloting the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), also known as renewable diesel, in backup generators at its Sabey Data Center Austin campus in Texas to explore how renewable diesel alternatives could reduce the environmental impact of data-center operations while maintaining mission-critical infrastructure reliability.
HVO is being tested as the primary fuel source in data-center backup generators to determine feasibility for broader use across Sabey Data Centers.
The importance of finding multiple new pathways to operate data centers more sustainability grows as the need for digital infrastructure expands.
For the communities surrounding these facilities, the question is not simply how to power the technology of tomorrow, but how to do so responsibly today.
Backup generators play an important role in maintaining data-center reliability, serving as a safeguard during power outages and emergencies.
While their overall fuel consumption is limited, backup generation remains one of the more challenging sources of scope 1 emissions, or greenhouse gases (GHGs) released directly from sources a company owns or controls, including fuel burned in backup generators.
Data centers support the digital services that people and businesses rely on, but they also have an environmental footprint.
By exploring alternatives to conventional diesel, Sabey said it is looking for practical ways to reduce that footprint without compromising the reliability of its operations.
HVO is a renewable diesel made by hydrotreating vegetable oils and waste fats, including used cooking oil, and can be used in existing diesel generators without engine modifications.
A 2022 peer-reviewed study by the U.S. DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory found that renewable diesel made from waste-based feedstocks cuts lifecycle-GHG emissions by 79 percent to 86 percent compared with petroleum diesel, with crop-based feedstocks delivering reductions of 40 percent to 69 percent.
Sabey’s pilot will track the feedstock behind the HVO it burns, since fuel origin determines the climate benefit.
The significance of the Sabey HVO initiative extends beyond the generators currently being tested in Austin.
By evaluating how HVO performs under real-world operating conditions, Sabey is exploring the potential for lower-carbon backup-generation fuels across its broader data-center portfolio where fuel availability and operating conditions allow.
If the pilot proves successful, Sabey said it intends to expand testing at additional data-center sites.
“For more than 50 years, Sabey has been building and operating infrastructure with the understanding that being a good neighbor is one of our most important responsibilities,” said Casey Mason, the director of energy and sustainability at Sabey Data Centers. “As technology evolves and the need for digital infrastructure grows, it’s our responsibility to continue finding better ways to operate. We need reliable backup power, but we also want to explore how we can reduce its environmental impact for the surrounding community. This pilot is one step toward understanding how we can do both.”
