CCAC Webinar: Emissions from Cooling Systems in Data Centres

Approximately 40% of the electricity consumed in Data Centres is utilized by cooling systems, with a vast majority still relying on climate-warming hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, including R-134a and R-410A, due to their non-flammable properties. Additionally, the number of data centres in developing countries is expected to rapidly increase due to economic growth linked to an increasing demand for data (booming of IA, cryptocurrencies, etc.), cost of connection, and a growing demand for sovereignty in data processing and storage.

The impact of data centres is large and growing tremendously as a result: IEA estimates that worldwide data centres used 460 TWh in 2022 - around 2% of global electricity and that such electricity demand could double towards 2026.  

Currently there is a lack of regulation and effective norms around this sector. Without urgent action, the opportunity of avoiding technology lock-in with increasing volumes of HFC usage across the data centres sector, especially in the context of the large usage of preferred non-flammable HFCs will be a missed large-scale opportunity for targeted action on short-lived climate pollutants.

In this context, the CCAC Cooling Hub organized this webinar which aimed to enhance our understanding of the issue and the opportunities for countries to take early action to reduce current and future emissions from refrigerants and energy use.

Speakers

Mr. Anderson Alves, UNDP

Anderson Moreira do Vale Alves is the Regional Technical Advisor for Asia-Pacific of the Chemicals and Waste Hub of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Anderson currently leads the regional team of the Chemicals and Waste Hub assisting countries in the Asia and the Pacific overseeing the implementation of Policies, Programmes and Projects under the frameworks of the Montreal Protocol, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and the Minamata Convention on Mercury, including the connecting areas of Cooling Efficiency, Waste Management and Circular Economy. A national from Brazil, he has been working with the with Montreal Protocol and Chemicals and Waste for the past 20 years, initially at national level, when he supported the development and implementation of the Brazilian Montreal Protocol programs; and from 2011 onwards working as international development practicioner, first in the Latin America and Caribbean Region with UNDP and UNEP; and since 2018 in the Asia-Pacific Region with UNDP.

Mr. Bruno Lafitte - UNEP United4 Efficiency

Dr. Bruno Lafitte is an international energy efficiency expert with more than 20 years of professional experience, specializing in the Data Centres sector. He holds a PhD in physics and a master’s degree in electrical engineering. After professional experiences in the U.S., China and Austria in the private sector, he has joined the French agency for ecological transition (ADEME) and provided support for the last 16 years in the building department, specifically on lighting and data centres. As International Consultant for United for Efficiency, Mr. Lafitte provides technical support in the development and implementation of Energy Efficient policies (such as MEPS and Labelling schemes), Sustainable Public Procurement programmes and is the author of multiple publications and technical guidelines from UNEP U4E initiative.

Dr. Daniel  de Graaf Dr. Daniel de Graaf, German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt)

Dr. Daniel de Graaf was born in Ludwigshafen am Rhein in 1975. He graduated in Biochemistry from Freie Universit't Berlin and compiled his doctorate at the Berlin Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in 2009. Since joining the German Environment Agency in 2008, his main interest focuses on fluorinated greenhouse gases such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) which are predominantly used as refrigerants in e.g. air conditioning and heat pump appliances. His work is dedicated to replacing HFCs in stationary air conditioning and industrial refrigeration with environment-friendly natural refrigerants such as hydrocarbons, ammonia and carbon dioxide.