Partners selected for RNG backup power at Microsoft San Jose data centre

Two companies have been chosen to procure renewable natural gas (RNG) for Microsoft's new data centre in San Jose during grid outages and when California's Base Interruptible Power (BIP) is activated.

Enchanted Rock, a microgrid developer, and US Energy, a vertically integrated energy solutions provider in refined products, alternative fuels, and environmental credits, announced a partnership to provide backup power to the Microsoft facility.

The data centre will use Enchanted Rock's electrical resiliency-as-a-service and ultra-low-emission generators to avoid disruptions to their operations.

The resiliency microgrid, utilising carbon-neutral RNG, is meant to ensure maximum uptime for Microsoft's San Jose data centre by providing backup power during grid outages.

US Energy will deliver RNG sourced from diverted food waste that would have otherwise ended up in landfills. The RNG will be injected upstream in the pipeline to match natural gas usage at the site and reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions, supporting Microsoft's goal to become carbon-negative by 2030, the companies said.

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The agreement also allows for flexibility in the amount of RNG supplied, ensuring the data centre can meet its standards for emissions reduction. Procurement of the RNG is scheduled to begin in early 2026. 

The RNG market is rapidly growing along with burgeoning interest in all forms of clean energy. Timing-based incentives for the market, such as those included in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, put a premium on designs that are adaptable, reliable, affordable, and constructible.

Because RNG remains an emerging market, many owners and operators of RNG facilities are designing and developing them for the first time. Reliability is critical for RNG facilities — including biogas generation, upgrading, and processing, as well as pipeline interconnects — because any downtime will require flaring of biogas, leading to additional emissions and loss of potential revenue. Keeping total installation costs low is also vital to justifying the business case for building a facility.

Read more about how to leverage a standardized design approach in RNG facility projects here.

Originally published by Sean Wolfe on power-eng.com