Seven critical issues for environmentally friendly Data Centres.

The industries that use more power than data centres are largely limited to aluminium smelting, steel production, cement production, rail networks and airport hubs. Data centres are massive users of power, with mega campus-based data centres consuming as much as 300–1,000+ megawatts, with one megawatt being enough to power between 100 and 1,000 homes.

While drawing on mains power, generated using renewable energy and/or fossil fuels to power daily operations, data centres also have generators to ensure seamless operation when mains power fails. The manufacturers of those generators include Caterpillar, Cummins, Rolls-Royce, Kohler Energy, Generac and Mitsubishi.

WHAT FUEL DO MAJOR MANUFACTURERS RECOMMEND FOR DATA CENTRE GENERATORS?

The six major suppliers of generators to data centres in Australia recommend that their generators be fuelled as follows:

Supplier	Recommended Fuel
Caterpillar	Ultra-low sulphur diesel (baseline)HVO/renewable dieselLimited biodiesel blends
Cummins	ULSD (baseline)Biodiesel blendsHVO/renewable diesel
Rolls-Royce	ULSDHVO/paraffinic dieselStrict limits on biodiesel in many configurations
Kohler Energy	DieselBiodiesel blendsHVO/renewable diesel
Generac	DieselBiodiesel blendsCompatibility with renewable diesel (HVO)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries	DieselIncreasing interest in low-carbon liquid fuels (HVO)Alternative fuels depending on engine design, including HVO

While some manufacturers also recommend mineral diesel and other biofuels, all recommend HVO and some, including Caterpillar, Rolls-Royce and Kohler, strongly recommend HVO (HVO100).

WHAT IS HVO100?

A 100% renewable diesel that is up to 95% carbon-neutral, HVO100 can be used immediately without modification to engines or infrastructure. It offers better combustion, filterability and cold-temperature resistance than other diesel products. Many engineers view HVO100 as the best and easiest paraffinic option for immediately reducing carbon emissions by replacing mineral diesel.

HVO100:

• Delivers up to a 95% reduction in NGER-measured CO₂ emissions.

• Replaces standard diesel fuel with no changes to the vehicle.

• Replaces standard diesel fuel with no changes to maintenance requirements.

• Delivers superior cold-start operability and storage stability.

• Reduces local pollution emissions, including diesel particulate matter (PM) and NOx.

HVO100 renewable diesel from TotalEnergies complies with the EN15940 specification and the Australian Fuel Quality Standards (Paraffinic Diesel) Determination 2025. It works seamlessly in all modern diesel engines and has been approved by leading engine manufacturers for most heavy vehicles.

WHY DO GENERATOR SUPPLIERS RECOMMEND HVO100?

HVO100 offers data centres critical benefits, including:

• Mineral diesel is increasingly becoming an ESG contradiction.

• Reduces Scope Three emissions.

• HVO100 is the lowest-risk decarbonisation pathway

• Air quality and urban licensing pressures are increasing.

• Customers and investors are pressuring data centre operators.

• Regulators are moving towards stricter carbon frameworks.

Specifically, HVO100:

• Reduces Scope 1 carbon emissions.

• Offers faster decarbonisation than the alternatives.

• Can be used without any modification to machinery.

• Maintains high levels of reliability and

.• Lowers local pollutants.

The bottom line is that HVO100 is classified by the Clean Energy Regulator as 95% carbon-neutral. HVO100 is the future of diesel, radically reducing emissions while satisfying all operational requirements.

ARE ALL HVO100 RENEWABLE DIESELS THE SAME?

Most certainly not.

HVO100 from TotalEnergies is ISCC-certified. ISCC certification confirms that the feedstock (ensuring it contains no palm oil, rapeseed oil or linseed oil), supply chain, carbon accounting and audit capability are consistent with sustainability requirements.

This makes HVO100 from TotalEnergies a benchmark in renewable diesel, maximising the enhancement of the user's sustainability credentials. In essence, ISCC certification confirms the environmental credentials of HVO100.

Data centres concerned about the environment and the need to avoid greenwashing should ensure that the HVO100 they purchase is ISCC-certified.

DO DATA CENTRES NEED TO BE ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS?

Absolutely.

To realise their potential, all businesses need to embrace the fact that they require a social licence to operate. Increasingly, businesses are realising that maintaining that social licence requires not only being environmentally responsible, but also being seen to be environmentally responsible. This is particularly true for data centres.

While research suggests that 45% of Australians have a positive attitude towards data centres:

• 30% of the community has a negative view of these facilities.

• There is an emerging trend of community concern about "energy-hungry" data centres that are placing increasing demands on the electricity grid, among other concerns.

Data centres are broadly seen as necessary but not inherently welcome, and acceptance is highly conditional on energy sources, local impacts and transparency of benefits. There is also growing awareness of the power of local communities to obstruct data centre construction.

ARE ALL DATA CENTRES USING HVO100?

Sadly not.

There is evidence that the generators at some data centres are fuelled with mineral diesel, making them less environmentally responsible and more likely to attract concern from local communities and governments, particularly as emissions regulations become stricter and governments move to enforce them more rigorously.

It is understood that the primary barrier to fuelling data centre generators with HVO100 has been availability and cost.

IS HVO100 EXPENSIVE?

HVO100 is more expensive than standard mineral diesel. That said, there are strategies that can be implemented to guarantee supply and moderate the additional cost. They include:

• Aggregated purchasing through GreenTECH Fuel, with the consolidation of orders b eing levearged to reduce the cost of HVO100.

• Blending HVO100 Premium Plus with mineral diesel, minimising the overall average fuel cost and reducing the HVO100 premium.

Other cost-reduction strategies can be discussed with Steve Wilkinson, Managing Director of GreenTECH Fuel.

For more information on HVO100, visit - https://www.greentechfuel.com, or contact Steve Wilkinson - 0481 055 383 or email steve@greentechfuel.com.au.