Data centre and digital infrastructure company Teraco has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with integrated energy aggregator NOA to supply wind-powered renewable energy to Teraco’s data centres.

Teraco signed the PPA to complement its renewable-energy programme with wind power, having started construction on its own 120 MW solar PV plant in the Free State.

Wind is a key renewable-energy resource for data centres that operate constantly throughout the year. In South Africa, wind generates power through the night and into the early morning, making it a complementary source of power to solar, which is generated during daylight hours.

The combination enables far greater levels of renewable-energy coverage, says Teraco sustainability head Bryce Allan.

Under the terms of the PPA, NOA will wheel renewable energy from various wind projects to Teraco’s facilities. The renewable energy wheeled to Teraco’s facilities will complement Teraco’s solar programme and maximise renewable energy across Teraco’s data centres.

These projects will ramp up progressively over time, with the first power expected to be wheeled in 2026, he adds.

Wheeling renewable energy across electrical grids enables power to be moved from a renewable-energy producer in outlying areas using existing transmission and distribution systems to end-users located in urban areas.

Teraco has seven data centres spread across Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.

It also enables the deployment of renewable-energy projects to areas with high energy yield to maximise renewable energy generation potential.

“The PPA supports our sustainable growth pathway. We appreciate NOA’s unique and collaborative approach in complementing Teraco’s renewable-energy supply and look forward to a long partnership as we journey towards our 100% renewable-energy goal,” says Allan.

The agreement provides Teraco and NOA with the flexibility to grow renewable-energy offtake as both companies evolve to meet increasing demand.

“This is an exciting time for Teraco as we take another significant step towards meeting our 100% renewable-energy ambitions and those of our clients. We are looking forward to these new wind generation facilities coming online and adding much needed new renewable-energy production to South Africa’s grid,” says Teraco CEO Jan Hnizdo.

“NOA is proud to deliver our suite of renewable-energy products to support Africa’s largest data centre operator’s ambitious renewable energy goals,” says NOA CEO Karel Cornelissen.

“By aggregating renewable energy from our fleet of generation facilities and third-party independent power producers, we are well positioned to provide tailored and flexible solutions to help companies, like Teraco, reduce their carbon footprint.”