Airtel invests in renewable energy for data centres

Bharti Airtel has unveiled plans to procure 23,000 MW of renewable energy for its data centre subsidiary, Nxtra, by the fourth quarter of FY24. This initiative aligns with Airtel's commitment to reduce its carbon footprint and will involve investments in renewable energy projects managed by Continuum Green India and Vibrant Energy Holdings.The primary objective of this investment is to power six of Nxtra's Edge data centre facilities. The procurement of renewable energy will be facilitated through an open access route, with Airtel investing in Continuum Green's project company. This company will be responsible for supplying environmentally friendly power generated from solar and wind energy projects to Nxtra's Edge data centres located in Madhya Pradesh.Furthermore, Airtel has entered into an investment agreement with Vibrant Energy's project company to provide solar energy for its Edge data centre in Vijayawada.These strategic moves will bolster Nxtra's total contracted renewable energy capacity to over 274,000 MW, firmly positioning the company as a leader in the development of eco-friendly data centres.Ashish Arora, CEO of Nxtra by Airtel, expressed the company's commitment to becoming a Net Zero Company by 2031, emphasising their dedication to minimising their carbon footprint and spearheading the eco-friendly data centre movement in India.