Press Release: SDIA Welcomes Rolls-Royce to its Vibrant, Fast-growing Community

SDIA welcomes Rolls-Royce to its vibrant, fast-growing community

Germany/Hamburg, September 2021 – Earlier this year, specialist in power systems Rolls-Royce joined the Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Alliance (SDIA). “We are very excited to welcome Rolls-Royce to the Alliance," commented Max Schulze, SDIA's Executive Chairman. “Roll-Royce is a household name in many countries. As a well-known vendor of data center emergency power systems under the product brand mtu, Rolls-Royce is a key player in backup generators, but also of exhaust after treatment systems and in future fuel cells.”

Greening the global digital economy

Established in 2019, SDIA is a nonprofit network of more than 65 organizations working to catalyze the transition to sustainable digital infrastructure. It aligns all actors of the digital ecosystem – from energy supply and data centers, to fiber-optic networks and software – on the mission of fostering a sustainable digital economy and realizing its Roadmap to Sustainable Digital Infrastructure by 2030.

While drawing attention to the growth of the global digital infrastructure sector, whose carbon emissions rival that of the aviation industry, SDIA seeks to drive collaboration across the entire value chain to promote a sustainable digital economy – from an environmental, economic, and social perspective.

Improving sustainability performance

“Data center operators are very interested in sustainable solutions, and therefore also in sustainable backup power solutions,” said Andreas Görtz, Vice President of Power Generation at Rolls-Royce Power Systems. “This is partly because the entire data center market is dominated by the large technology companies, which are very much in the public eye and feel a social responsibility to reduce their carbon footprint. This has also brought data center emergency power systems into focus. Although they have only a few operating hours, gigantic capacities with a very high available power are being built for these mission-critical data centers. Their standards, also with regard to lower exhaust emissions, are constantly being tightened, and emergency power generators are sometimes equipped with exhaust after treatment systems. This green trend is also spreading from the hyperscale operators to smaller data centers, which often lease capacity as colocation data centers to the large technology companies that do not build data centers themselves in every country but have similar specifications for their leased capacity.”

Action and collaboration

SDIA and Rolls-Royce share a common vision when it comes to sustainability and digital infrastructure. “Action and collaboration will make a big difference in increasing sustainability and reducing the burden on the planet,” said Schulze, adding: “The digital economy is transforming modern life in so many different ways. It is important that this industry takes a leadership role that is focused on impacts over rhetoric. We look forward to working with our members on quantifiable sustainability goals as we have described in our Roadmap. Working together in this committed way, we are excited to be working with Rolls-Royce o­­­­n this common goal toward actual, achievable outcomes.”

“Innovative solutions such as fuel cell applications or hydrogen CCHP [combined cooling, heating, and power] units have to prove [their] reliability by operational units in the field,” stressed Görtz. “Rolls-Royce wants to cooperate with SDIA in order to identify lighthouse projects to enable new and sustainable solutions entering the market. The strength of an alliance like SDIA is that you have partners and cooperation that work together on one overarching goal. It strengthens our network.”

About SDIA

Established in 2019 and based in Hamburg, Germany, the Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Alliance e.V. (SDIA) is a nonprofit network of more than 65 members and partners working to catalyze the transition to a sustainable digital economy. The SDIA brings together stakeholders from across industries and fields, both public and private, to realize its Roadmap to Sustainable Digital Infrastructure by 2030. It is meant to offer a holistic, systems-thinking approach to solving the challenges facing ICT sustainability, ranging from energy supply and data centers, to fiber-optic networks and software.

About Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce pioneers cutting-edge technologies that deliver clean, safe and competitive solutions to meet our planet’s vital power needs, including integrated propulsion and energy solutions. With “Net Zero at Power Systems,” the company is re-aligning its strategy toward eco-friendly products. The next steps: from 2023 key mtu engine series to be ready for sustainable fuels, and from 2025, power generation with CO2-free fuel cells will be offered. With digitalization, they are opening up new service offerings as well as new innovative hardware and sources of value creation. For more information, visit their website.

For more information, please contact:

Michael  J.  Oghia,  Director  of  Communications  &  External  Relations,  Sustainable  Digital Infrastructure Alliance e.V. Email: [email protected]