Elly Yates-Roberts |
Microsoft has announced plans to create a sustainable data centre region in Sweden. The company will use the 24/7 Matching solution from renewable energy company Vattenfall to measure and match the consumption of fossil-free energy in the data centres.
According to Microsoft, Sweden was chosen for the new region due to its strong commitments to sustainability and innovation.
“It’s a game-changer that the new cloud region will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, thanks to our partnerships with Vattenfall and a world-class sustainable design,” said Jean-Philippe Courtois, executive vice president and president of sales, marketing and operations at Microsoft.
The new data centre region also aims to accelerate digital transformation in Sweden, by democratising access to the Microsoft Cloud. Businesses will have access to Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365 and Power Platform, enabling them to “empower employees, engage customers, transform products and optimise operations”.
Microsoft has also invested over $1.25 million in a range of community projects in the data centre region and will continue to provide digital skilling opportunities in the area. Projects to strengthen technical competence include the SkillUpSweden initiative and a new collaboration with Sigma Young Talent.
“Building on Microsoft’s 35-year history in Sweden and strong partnerships across the energy, manufacturing and retail sectors, we are looking forward to delivering the Microsoft Cloud from this new data centre region in 2021,” said Courtois. “We believe that digital transformation should always be both inclusive and sustainable. As such, we will provide digital skills training for up to 150,000 citizens, to help support their employability and empower them to take advantage of the opportunities that this investment brings to Sweden.”