As Europe’s energy crisis continues to grip the region, many data centers in Europe need help to remain operational. The situation is especially dire for those that depend on natural gas, a super-clean burning fossil fuel that accounts for up to one-fifth of Europe’s total electricity generation.
Europe’s Energy Crisis Nightmaring Data Centers Operator
Europe’s energy crisis has forced the region’s largest data center operators to rethink their strategy for operating and planning for the future.
Europe is experiencing an unprecedented energy crisis that could lead to blackouts in some countries, power rationing in others, and higher energy prices for businesses and consumers alike.
Wha is The problem?
The region has relied on Russia for some of its natural gas imports, but Russia recently cut off supplies due to a pricing dispute with Ukraine. Europe’s pipeline network is also more than 40 years old, making it difficult for the region to import gas from other sources.
The result: Europe is being forced to look at alternative energy sources. One option is using natural gas-fired power generation plants, cheaper than coal- or nuclear-powered plants. Still, it will require building new pipelines and infrastructure to transmit natural gas across borders. This would take time—possibly years—and lead to further price hikes while Europe waits for its new infrastructure to be built.
Shift to Renewable Energy
The supply problems have forced some European countries to find alternative means to keep their data centers operational. For example, France has begun importing liquefied natural gas from the U.S., but the process takes longer than shipping liquid through pipelines.
In addition, Europeans are looking into more unorthodox methods, such as using coal or nuclear power to compensate for the lack of natural gas. However, these sources are not as clean burning as natural gas and could potentially cause other problems if used on a
In the past week alone, eight data centers have been shut down in Sweden and Denmark because of this crisis, and more closures are expected in the coming weeks if the situation does not improve. Many tech companies have also taken steps to reduce their electricity usage.
For example, Google has turned off some features on its search engine and reduced its cooling systems at some facilities—but these minor adjustments are unlikely to be enough to make up for considerable deficits in energy production.
The electricity shortages in Europe are a troubling sign for the prospects of renewable resources. The EU wants to promote clean energy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels and nuclear power. However, this leads to the construction of several facilities that will use these alternative power sources.
To meet their energy demands, some of these facilities have turned to using natural gas, which is not as “green” as solar or wind power.
The European Union wants to be more self-sufficient regarding its energy demands, but this has left them with the problem of where they will find such massive amounts of power. This is especially true since many countries within the EU still need their natural gas resources.
The EU is currently working on building renewable energy facilities that can produce as much as 2 gigawatts (GW) of additional power by 2023. This would help supplement existing and future demand for electricity in the region.
Power failures are costly!
Power outages can be expensive for data centers that rely on constant and reliable power. The European Energy Crisis is forcing European data center operators to look for new ways to secure backup power.
As European countries depend more and more on natural gas, the risk of power failures has also increased. To avoid potential damage from power failures, many companies are looking for alternative ways to provide backup power in case of a blackout or brownout. The traditional solution of diesel generators is being replaced by less noisy and noisier fuel cells.
The problems could cause a decrease in the number of new data centers being built in regions like Europe. Companies like Amazon have plans to build new facilities but will face higher costs due to the energy crisis.
Relocating Data Center
The European Union is in the midst of an energy crisis. As it grows, the power grid struggles to keep up with the demand, and many people in EU countries experience frequent blackouts and brownouts. This can cause severe problems for businesses relying on uninterrupted power, but it’s also inconvenient for everyday citizens.
Many providers have set their sights on Indonesia, where the government invests billions in energy infrastructure. As part of this initiative, they are building power plants across the country and planning to build transmission lines that will link them up with other major cities like Jakarta. This will give data center providers a reliable power source in the region and make it much easier to ship servers in and out of Indonesia.
Read more: Business Should Consider Using Data Centers in Indonesia
Conclusion
The European Union’s need for natural gas can be traced back to its reliance on Russian imports via a pipeline system owned by Russia’s Gazprom. A contract dispute between Gazprom and Ukraine, coupled with EU sanctions against Russia in the wake of its annexation of Crimea, has left Gazprom unable to fulfill all of its contractual obligations to its European customers who rely on Russian natural gas.
As a result, some European countries are experiencing gas shortages, while others have seen gas supplies cut off altogether.
Europe’s energy grid is in a dire state, and utilities are beginning to take drastic measures to ensure that vital functions such as hospitals, police stations, and data centers do not go offline. The EU is working hard to harness renewable energy sources, but it needs help with the large-scale implementation of these technologies.
Data centers across Northern Europe will soon be forced to rely on diesel generators for backup power instead of the traditional network of power cables. In addition, many data centers are being moved from their locations near major cities to more rural areas where the grid has a higher chance of remaining online despite outages.