Capgemini India announces switch to 100% renewable energy for operations

Capgemini has achieved a new sustainability milestone by announcing that its facilities in India are now operating on 100 percent renewable energy. The company's efforts have resulted in a reduction of over 70,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.   

The company has successfully implemented a combination of strategies to achieve this goal. These include generating renewable energy on-site, purchasing renewable energy from external sources through power purchase agreements, and procuring green power through utility programs.  

The company's renewable energy supply is primarily sourced from a collection of initiatives, which make up a significant 83 percent of the total supply. Seventeen percent of the total energy is acquired through the utilization of renewable energy certificates.   

Commenting on the milestone, Ashwin Yardi, CEO of Capgemini in India and Member of the Group Executive Committee said, “At Capgemini, sustainability has always been a priority, and, over the years, we have taken significant steps to ensure we reduce our carbon footprint. With the use of innovative technology like Battery Energy Storage Solutions and intelligent Energy Management Systems, we can very clearly see a path towards transforming and decarbonizing the energy industry through technology.” 

All of Capgemini's Indian campuses now have operational on-site solar plants with a combined capacity of 11.5MWp. Some of these campuses produce so much extra electricity that they sell it back to their local utility companies. 
 
Notably, Capgemini's campuses in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai (MIPL and SIPCOT) have been actively engaging in the 'net-metering initiative' by returning excess renewable energy to the state power grid.   

By 2023, the campuses will have achieved net positive energy utilization, having exported a total of 450 MWh of renewable electricity to the electricity grid since the beginning of the year, the company said. 

Capgemini has recently implemented 'Battery Energy Storage Solutions' (BESS) in its Noida and Mumbai campuses as another measure to reduce its carbon footprint. These solutions allow for the storage of renewable energy overflow from solar plants during the day, with capacities of 2.5 MWh and 3.5 MWh.   

The stored energy is then utilized during evening peak hours. Reduced emissions from peaker power plants, reduced energy costs, smaller carbon footprints, and less stress on the grid during peak hours are just a few of the benefits of this novel method.