Amazon wants to switch to powering its data centers from diesel to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), a biofuel that is often cooking oil or waste oil.
According to The Register (opens in a new tab), and following similar changes made by Google (opens in a new tab) in April 2022, tech giant Amazon Web Services (AWS)'s cloud storage service began to move away from diesel power in January. 2023. and has now started powering emergency power generators for its data centers in Ireland and Sweden.
The ultimate goal, according to AWS, is to make this switch to all of its European sites eventually, and switching to HVO as a power source could result in "a 90% reduction" in greenhouse gases compared to diesel.
AWS HVO switch
There are considerable problems with the switch: For one thing, hydrotreating vegetable oil involves reacting the oils with hydrogen at high pressures and temperatures, essentially turning it into renewable diesel.
Despite this, AWS sticks to that 90% statistic and obviously needs to have some motivation to make the switch. It could also be operating costs, as the e-commerce giant noted that part of what makes HVO preferable to other biofuels is that it's compatible with your existing generators without modification.
“By making this commitment to use sustainably sourced HVO at our data center sites, we hope to pave the way for other companies and help establish a global supply chain that will accelerate change across Europe, working collaboratively with other organisations. AWS said. . ' Director of Infrastructure Operations for Northern Europe, Neil Morris.
Additionally, The Register notes that there are many other environmental risks associated with switching to sustainable biofuels, including deforestation and food price inflation, and the need to ensure an ethical supply chain.
Otherwise, you'll end up with Swedish shipping company Einride's claim (opens in a new tab) that 50% of Swedish HVO is made from palm oil, with producers reluctant to reveal how it's made. makes the sausage However, the European Commission has an idea (opens in a new tab) (PDF), citing the destruction of orangutan habitats and forced child labor.