Equinix and CleanMax partner to build 33 MW renewable energy plant in Maharashtra

Digital infrastructure provider Equinix on Thursday signed its first power purchase agreement (PPA) in India with Mumbai-based CleanMax, a renewable energy provider in the Commercial and Industrial sector backed by Brookfield. The agreement involves building a 33 MW Captive Power Plant in Maharashtra, which will supply renewable energy to Equinix’s data centres in Mumbai and support India’s renewable energy goals.

The project, comprising 26.4 MWp of solar and 6.6 MW of wind capacity, is set to begin operations in phases in 2025, ultimately powering Equinix’s International Business Exchange data centres in Mumbai. Manoj Paul, Managing Director of Equinix India, stated that this PPA enhances their sustainability commitment and enables 100% renewable energy coverage for customers in India.

PPAs are an effective means for data centres to source renewable energy and promote local renewable energy growth. This agreement marks Equinix’s first renewable energy initiative in India, following similar agreements in Australia and Singapore earlier this year. Globally, Equinix has executed 23 PPAs expected to generate over 3.1 million megawatt hours (MWh) of renewable energy annually across various countries, including the US, Australia, France, India, and Singapore.

India ranks fourth globally in renewable power capacity additions, and as data centre demand rises, securing sustainable energy sources poses a challenge. Equinix’s Energy Efficiency program aims to reduce infrastructure energy consumption, achieving a reduction of 66,862 MWh and an 8.8% improvement in Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) in 2023, with a $77.5 million investment in energy efficiency projects.

Meanwhile, CleanMax was selected by Equinix for its decarbonization efforts after a thorough evaluation. The company has over 2GW of renewable assets serving more than 400 clients. 

Kuldeep Jain, Managing Director of CleanMax, noted that the partnership marks a significant step in transforming the energy landscape for digital infrastructure, demonstrating how corporations can balance growth and sustainability.

“Sustainable practices are increasingly important across supply chains, impacting various sectors like banking, consumer goods, and textiles, in addition to technology and data centres. Export-oriented businesses must adopt green practices, whether supplying to multinationals in India or exporting globally,” he said, giving an example of global capability centres (GCCs) that are using green energy for service delivery, even if they aren't data centres. 

“The emphasis on green data centres highlights the demand for eco-friendly products. India, with its renewable energy resources and supportive regulations, is well-positioned to develop sustainable solutions,” he added.

Regarding expansion, Paul mentioned that while demand for data centres in tier II and III cities is increasing, the focus remains on metropolitan areas, which currently account for 50% of new data centre capacities, particularly in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Kolkata, and Delhi. A strategy for tier II and III cities will be developed as demand grows.

“Following the start of power supply to Equinix’s Maharashtra facility, we plan to explore additional sustainability solutions for Equinix's future AI-ready data centres globally,” he summed up..