Hitachi Vantara report shows drive for lower data centre emissions

Hitachi Vantara has published its FY2024 Sustainability Report, detailing its environmental, social and governance progress and its ongoing work to reduce carbon emissions and advance responsible business practices in the technology sector.

This second annual report outlines Hitachi Vantara's approach to balancing the increasing power demands driven by artificial intelligence and data-intensive workloads with efficiency, lower energy costs and environmental stewardship. The report highlights advancements in energy-efficient infrastructure, reductions in carbon emissions and improvements in business practices.

Several of Hitachi Vantara's storage solutions have achieved ENERGY STAR certification for energy efficiency. The company's Virtual Storage Platform One Block (VSP One Block) has secured the top spot in the ENERGY STAR NVSS Disk Online 4 category, reflecting the company's focus on optimising hardware for lower energy consumption.

As part of its operational initiatives, Hitachi Vantara's solar-powered distribution centre in the Netherlands now generates approximately 30% of its electricity on-site. The facility sources its remaining energy needs from verified renewable sources using Energy Attribute Certificates, ensuring fully renewable operation.

The use of recycled materials forms part of the company's strategy to address sustainability in product design. Currently, 40% by weight of the bezels on the VSP One Block and File storage models are comprised of post-consumer recycled plastics. These materials meet flame-resistance safety standards and reduce environmental impact. The report indicates a target of increasing this recycled content to 50% by financial year 2030 by expanding the use of recycled materials in drive canisters and biomass-based parts.

Hitachi Vantara has also reported progress in reducing the energy consumption of its facilities. In financial year 2024, the company consumed 78,211 MWh of energy, with 90% drawn from grid electricity and 35% from renewable energy sources including solar and wind. A key example is the 2024 refresh of the Denver data centre, which involved optimising layouts and infrastructure and enhancing airflow, leading to a 50% decrease in energy use and an improvement in Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) from 1.6 to 1.3.

Commitments to carbon neutrality are central to Hitachi Vantara's sustainability strategy. The company aims to achieve carbon neutrality for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by FY2030, with a target of reaching carbon neutrality across its full value chain by FY2050.

Sheila Rohra, Chief Executive Officer of Hitachi Vantara, said, "We're proud of the progress we've made since our inaugural Sustainability Report, but we know the journey doesn't end there. Our focus remains on highlighting how sustainability, particularly in the data centre, can be both a key driver of innovation and a business differentiator – from reducing carbon emissions to helping businesses achieve energy savings, enhance operational efficiency and meet their broader sustainability goals."

The report draws on examples from customers who have seen direct benefits from Hitachi Vantara's solutions. La Molisana, an Italian pasta manufacturer, implemented VSP One Block, resulting in a 30% reduction in energy consumption and a 2.5 times improvement in response times. Maurizio Maio, Chief Information Officer of La Molisana, said, "Sustainability was an important factor in our selection of VSP One Block. Although the energy consumption of our data centre is relatively low compared to our manufacturing operations, we are keen to implement eco-friendly IT solutions. The energy-efficient VSP One Block aligns perfectly with our vision."

In India, media company Malayala Manorama reported a 66% reduction in rack space and a 70% reduction in power and cooling costs after the deployment of a low-latency infrastructure from Hitachi Vantara. Similarly, Estonia's telecom provider Elisa Eesti has modernised its data infrastructure with Hitachi Vantara's Virtual Storage Platform, tripling energy efficiency and reducing its carbon footprint.

The company has introduced a new Sustainability Guarantee with its storage platform, starting with VSP One, as its major sustainability commitment for FY2025. This guarantee enables businesses to track and optimise energy consumption and assures a maximum power consumption target to help organisations meet their sustainability objectives.