The Belgium data center will utilize a zero-emission backup power system
BRUSSELS — Centrica Business Solutions and Fluence announced their collaboration with Google for the supply and optimization of a zero-emission energy backup system at a hyperscale data center in Saint-Ghislain.
For Google, it is the first-of-its-kind project globally that uses a battery-based energy storage system to reduce the number of diesel generators needed to provide backup power to the facility. The installation of 2.75 MW of Fluence’s Gridstack energy storage product at the Saint-Ghislain data center serves as a proof of concept for wider use of battery-based energy storage at its facilities to help Google deliver on its commitment to operate globally on 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030.
Centrica will connect the battery storage assets to the Belgian electricity grid, allowing Google’s on-site batteries to flexibly store and discharge energy using Centrica’s specialized FlexPond software. The project further demonstrates the role that industrial consumers can play in stabilizing electricity grids via on-site batteries.