DUBAI, UAE, 18 September 2023: Danfoss announced that the Green Data Center seminar gathered over 80 regional experts and data centre industry stakeholders. Making the announcement through a Press release, Danfoss said the seminar held on September 13 in Dubai discussed the pressing need for sustainability in data centre operations as one of the crucial factors in achieving regional decarbonisation goals. 

The release said the seminar, co-hosted by Danfoss and DEIF in collaboration with the Danish Trade Council, explored the important role energy efficiency must play in data centre sustainability, particularly as Dubai’s digital economy is expected to reach more than USD140 billion in 2031, up from today’s nearly USD 38 billion.1 

According to Danfoss, the event’s discussions aligned with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Global Stocktake report2, which underscores the urgent need to reduce global emissions by at least 43% by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C, as stipulated in the Paris Agreement. The company said that as Dr. Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency (IEA), emphasised, doubling the rate of energy efficiency progress and tripling renewable power capacity globally by 2030 is essential. The company further said that data centres, as one of the key industries, have a pivotal role in achieving these critical targets. 

New research from the IEA, Danfoss said, shows that while the amount of computing done in data centres increased by about 550% between 2010 and 2018, the amount of energy consumed by data centres only grew by 6% during the same time. The company said the difference between these two data points is striking and is attributed to rapid improvements in energy efficiency that have helped limit energy demand growth from data centres, which accounts for about 1-1.5% of global electricity use.3 These improvements in energy efficiency need to be sustained and accelerated to meet the UNFCCC’s global emissions targets, the company further said. 

Ziad Al Bawaliz, Regional President, Danfoss Turkey, Middle East, and Africa, said: “With the region’s booming potential for digital services, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, there is likely to be significant demand growth for data centres in GCC region in the next few years. As we head into COP28, energy efficiency will play an increasingly vital role as it is the single largest measure the world can take to reduce energy demand. Energy efficiency is, and always should be, the ‘first fuel’ for clean energy transitions.” 

Ambassador Lars Steen Nielsen, Consul General, Embassy of Denmark, who opened the event, said: “Energy efficiency has the potential to be pivotal, and this seminar echoes the COP28 Presidency’s call for prioritising energy efficiency globally. We are excited to engage with Danfoss, DEIF, and global partners and work towards a greener future.’’  

Tomas Anker Christensen, Climate Ambassador, Denmark, who virtually addressed the audience during the event, said: “Denmark has been asked by the UAE presidency of COP28 to lead the political facilitation of the outcome of the global stocktake together with South Africa. One of the central themes at COP28 is the role of technology in our climate efforts. Danish technology holders like Danfoss, DEIF, and many others are at the forefront of developing cutting-edge solutions. They can revolutionise industries and future-proof them against climate challenges.” 

 The release said the event featured panel discussions, with participants from the Gulf Data Center Association, Khazna, MORO Hub, Gulf Data Hub, Equinix, Al Masaood, and Uptime Institute, who shared their insights into the path to sustainable data centres. The release further said the event aimed to raise awareness of the solutions that already exist to decarbonise data centres and which can significantly contribute towards the region’s ambitious decarbonisation goals. 

Alexandre Maraval, Vice President Asia & Managing Director APAC, DEIF, said: “This has been a great event during which we could acknowledge the importance of continuing our efforts in developing solutions based on sustainable energy sources. We are confident that DEIF’s strategy and Energy Management Systems fully align with the decarbonisation targets we all understand as a growing necessity for a better future. But at DEIF, we commit to Improve Tomorrow as we are excited to tackle the challenges ahead and are extremely proud to collaborate with a fellow Danish company in delivering real, sustainable action.”  

 The release said Danfoss and DEIF are celebrating their 90th anniversary this year and are committed to continuing their efforts to drive sustainability in the data centre industry and enhance energy efficiency whilst aligning with global climate objectives and fostering a greener future. 

1. Dubai Chamber of Commerce
2. Global Stocktake: UN urges ‘radical’ changes in climate policy plans to secure ‘liveable’ future (edie.net)
3. IEA Data Centres and Data Transmission Networks