Verne switches to Neste’s renewable diesel to fuel back-up power generators at its Finnish data centres

Verne is partnering with Neste, the world’s leading provider of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), to power back-up generators at its Finnish data centers in Helsinki, Pori, and Tampere. By switching to Neste MY Renewable Diesel™, Verne expects to reduce back-up generator greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 90 per cent over the lifecycle of the fuel when compared to fossil diesel1. This initiative is part of the company’s commitment to minimise the environmental impact of its own data center operations and to make it easier for customers to meet their sustainability goals.

Neste’s renewable diesel is a Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) made from 100 per cent renewable raw materials, such as animal fat from food industry waste, used cooking oil, and various waste and residues from vegetable oil production. With a similar chemical composition to fossil diesel, Verne is able to make the switch to renewable diesel without any modifications to its infrastructure.

Crucial for Verne’s Finnish operations, renewable diesel is also better-suited to very cold weather conditions than fossil diesel. It can be stored in temperatures as low as -32°C with better start-up and throttle response. Importantly for back-up power – which is only required during outages to primary power sources – it can also be stored over long periods of time without deterioration in quality or water accumulation.

“Verne’s mission is to provide data center services that don’t cost the earth and this switch to renewable diesel is a key milestone for the company and our customers, as it means we will be able to eliminate fossil fuels from our operations in Finland,” said Kim Gunnelius, Head of Finland at Verne. “While our back-up generators are only deployed in the event of an extended power failure – which is thankfully extremely rare due to Finland’s highly reliable grid – they are tested regularly, so it is important we minimise the impact they have on the environment. As well as helping us reduce GHG emissions, Neste’s renewable diesel works very effectively at cold temperatures so is the ideal solution for our Finnish operations.”