How can data centers use biomass energy to reduce costs

With the rapid development of technologies such as AI and the Internet of Things, global digitalization has reached an unprecedented climax. During this progress, the energy demand of data centers is also rising rapidly. At present, most data centers still rely on traditional energy supply, that is, electricity generated from fossil energy such as coal and natural gas. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) (2023), data centers and data transmission networks account for about 1-1.5% of global electricity consumption. Such an astonishing energy demand not only increases the operating costs of data centers, but also has a potential impact on the global environment.
 

Energy dilemma of data centers: high consumption, high emissions, and high pressure

 

High energy consumption: Servers, power systems, refrigeration equipment, etc. in the daily operation of data centers continue to consume a lot of electricity, and electricity expenses account for an increasing proportion of overall operating costs year by year, becoming a financial burden that companies cannot ignore.

 

High carbon emissions: According to statistics, the annual carbon emissions of a medium-sized data center are equivalent to the total emissions of tens of thousands of cars. This has put tremendous pressure on the earth's environment.

 

Policy compliance challenges: In addition to the company's own sense of sustainable development mission, pressure from governments, investors, customer preferences and other parties also forces operators to adopt more sustainable energy solutions.

Currently, many data centers have taken action to turn to renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass. Typically, data centers use renewable energy mainly through purchase or on-site production:

On-site production of renewable energy (for example, building wind, solar, or biomass power generation facilities). Among them, the potential of biomass as part of the energy structure of data centers is expanding.
Direct purchase of renewable energy (for example, through green power certificates or long-term power purchase agreements PPA).

Solutions from HaiQi: Smart Green Data Center

 

The big data security management 

The big data security management center developed by Haiqi can realize the real-time collection and management of multi-dimensional data of the project. It supports the secure connection of core systems such as LCA full life cycle data collection, pyrolysis plant energy consumption management, raw material output ratio, carbon asset accounting and emission monitoring. In addition, it can also ensure the efficiency and security of the data transmission process and improve the efficiency of equipment operation and maintenance through the cloud data management platform and 5G remote center. At the same time, the platform provides users with compliant evidence of carbon emission data and intelligent accounting support for carbon assets.
 

AI optimizes energy efficiency

The AI data monitoring system can automatically classify different types of raw materials through visual recognition and comparison with the material database. Combined with hundreds of sensors throughout the system, it can continuously track key parameters such as raw material status and type, power generation power, exhaust gas emission temperature, and real-time load of the cooling system, achieving comprehensive and transparent operation monitoring. 

In addition, the system has strong learning and prediction capabilities, and can predict electricity/cooling load in advance based on historical operating data and environmental variables, and dynamically adjust system parameters. Moreover, the system can flexibly respond to electricity price fluctuations and load changes through various modes such as economy, environmental protection, and emergency, and achieve the optimal switch between self-use and external power delivery. At the same time, biomass pyrolysis power generation is not affected by weather changes and has all-weather power generation capabilities. It is more suitable for high-load, high-density data centers than wind and solar energy, ensuring a stable energy supply.

High security

The system can detect abnormal conditions in real time and initiate emergency response mechanisms. Once abnormal equipment temperature, gas leakage (combustible gas multi-point detection) or current fluctuations are detected, the system will immediately issue an alarm. At the same time, the system will automatically initiate backup plans, such as starting backup chillers, adjusting power generation loads, etc., to ensure the safe operation of the entire system.
 

Diversified product benefits

During the electricity production process, the system can accurately control the biomass pyrolysis process, significantly reduce the total carbon emissions, and fully record the emission data, which is convenient for carbon asset declaration and carbon trading platform docking. In addition, the products such as biochar, wood tar, wood vinegar, etc. produced during the biomass pyrolysis process not only contribute to carbon sequestration, but also can be used as high value-added products in the fields of agriculture, building materials, and chemicals.
 

Less location dependence

Wind and solar energy are subject to greater geographical restrictions and can only be built in specific locations. In addition, the multiple factors affecting the site selection of data center construction affect the data center far from the power generation site. Therefore, this will lead to serious losses in the transmission of electricity to the power generation site. Biomass pyrolysis power generation can be flexibly deployed according to the location of biomass resources and data centers, minimizing power transmission costs and energy losses.
 

Small footprint

Large wind turbines may require about 1.5 acres of space to accommodate the turbine itself, access roads, and safety regulations. To generate 50 megawatts of electricity, about 75 acres of land are required to support multiple turbines, which is often not available in or near many data centers. Compared with wind power plants or solar power generation, biomass power generation facilities have a smaller footprint and support modular deployment, making them ideal for deploying data centers in cities or industrial parks where land resources are limited. In addition, pyrolysis systems can also power cooling systems through waste heat recovery, further improving the comprehensive efficiency of land and energy use.

Examples of biomass energy use in data centres 

There are several data centers around the world. Several data center operators have begun to use biomass to power their operations. Princeton Digital Group (PDG) has partnered with an Indonesian energy company to use its biomass to power its Cibitung data center in Indonesia.

In addition, world energy giant Drax is discussing potential energy supply agreements for its biomass power plant with data center operators. The company said in its latest trading update: "Drax has been actively working with data center providers to explore the possibility of co-locating data centers with biomass power generation facilities, and Drax will continue to explore such opportunities."

How to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency while ensuring computing power is an urgent problem facing data center operators. Biomass pyrolysis power generation provides a practical solution for achieving a green future. By utilizing this form of energy, data centers can significantly reduce carbon emissions and help build a more sustainable environment.

Committed to reliable and efficient energy solutions, HaiQi looks forward to in-depth cooperation with you. Combining HaiQi's core technology and experience in the field of biomass pyrolysis power generation, we believe that we can customize green energy solutions for your data center and jointly build a low-carbon, intelligent data center infrastructure. Join hands with HaiQi to enable green computing power to empower the future and create a new chapter of sustainability!