NTT DATA to begin utilization of renewable electricity at Mikata Data Center EAST in Tokyo delivered from remote mega Solar Power Plants from August

On March 1, NTT DATA Group Corp. signed an off-site physical corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) with TEPCO Energy Partner, Inc. and Promedia Inc.

Under a PPA, a corporation purchases renewable energy from a retail electricity provider at a fixed cost for a long period of time. In this scheme, power plants located far away from the areas of demand deliver power via a general-purpose power grid. The retail electricity provider secures a constant amount of electric power from this grid continuously for 30 minutes and supplies electricity and environmental value as a set to the demanding party.

New solar power plants have been constructed in Hanyu City in Saitama Prefecture, and Utsunomiya City and Mooka City in Tochigi Prefecture (3,700 kW of installed capacity in total). Starting in August this year, the power plants will generate and supply electricity to NTT DATA Mitaka DataCenter EAST in Tokyo. The electricity to be supplied is 4.4 million kWh yearly, equivalent to the amount used by 1,000 general households in one year.

This renewable energy power is generated by Promedia and supplied by TEPCO Energy Partner, Inc., which covers approximately 20% of the electric power consumed at NTT DATA Mitaka DataCenter EAST. CO₂ emissions are expected to be reduced by approximately 1,580 tons in one year.

There are only a small number of domestic examples of renewable energy power introduced from a remote mega-solar power plant to a data center based on an off-site corporate PPA. Moreover, the amount of power generation in this scheme will be in the largest class in this country.

It has been difficult for a data center in the middle of a city to proactively introduce such a scheme with the consent of customers due to concerns for the introduction costs and the stability of the remote power source. According to NTT DATA Group, this PPA will overcome these cost concerns by helping to secure stable profits and make effective use of subsidies for a 20-year-long term.

As for the stability of the electricity, NTT DATA Group has additionally adopted the PPA Menu provided by TEPCO Energy Partner, a company with business experience in the stable supply of renewable energy power from remote sources. The stability problem has been solved by signing an agreement that ensures environmental value transaction and stable power supply.

Furthermore, given the rising prices of crude oil and resources, the need for companies to procure their own energy is high. Moreover, society in general has been demanding that special attention be paid to the environment. NTT DATA Group said this project was realized to balance economic performance and stability while also meeting societal demands.

The current PPA adoption rate of NTT DATA Group is only 1−2%. To achieve the goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions from the data center, the Group aims to use this PPA to increase the adoption rate to approximately 10% or more by fiscal year 2030.