As the world becomes increasingly digital, the demand for data centers continues to soar. In this interview, we explore the sustainability challenges and opportunities within the data center industry, with a particular focus on the UAE. Mouna Essa-Egh, Vice President of Data Center MEA at Schneider Electric, shares insights into the company’s innovative solutions for optimizing energy efficiency, reducing carbon footprints, and mitigating climate risks. We also discuss the role of the Al Hamriyah Free Zone in fostering a sustainable data center ecosystem.
- Why is the UAE so lucrative for the data center industry?
The UAE stands out as a global hub for the data center industry, driven by its visionary leadership, strategic investments, and robust infrastructure. The nation’s focus on digital transformation aligns with the growing demand for scalable, secure, and high-performance data solutions.
The country is advancing sustainability through investments in renewable energy and innovative solutions like AI-driven optimization, Artificial Intelligence, IoT, and cloud computing.
This makes the UAE a pivotal player in the global digital economy in addition to being in a strategic location, connecting East and West, positioning it as a key gateway for data traffic and ensuring seamless connectivity for businesses across the region.
- What benefits does operating in the Al Hamriyah Free Zone offer Schneider Electric, especially for ESG, sustainability and governance,
Schneider Electric is proud to align its operations with the UAE’s sustainability goals, leveraging opportunities within the Al Hamriyah Free Zone to enhance our ESG commitments. Strategically located near the Sharjah Hamriyah seaport, the Free Zone minimizes transportation needs, reducing carbon emissions and supporting our efforts toward environmental stewardship.
Its robust regulatory framework and infrastructure empower us to implement impactful ESG initiatives, delivering measurable results that advance both our mission and the UAE’s broader energy transition goals. By integrating environmental advantages, economic incentives, and strategic positioning, Schneider Electric continues to contribute to a more sustainable and energy-efficient future.
- How is Schneider Electric addressing the energy consumption challenges of data centers in the Gulf region, and what is its approach to renewable energy?
According to the International Energy Agency, data centers and data transmission networks accounted for around 330 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent in 2020, which is nearly 1% of energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which contribute to rising global temperatures and climate change. To reach net zero by 2050, emissions must be cut in half by 2030.
Despite advancements in technology, data centers remain significant consumers of energy as well as water, particularly in evaporative cooling systems to prevent equipment overheating. Data centers play a crucial role in the increasingly digital world, but they have historically been incredibly energy intensive. As an industry responsible for 1-2% of global energy use (as per global research, the industry consumes an estimated 200 terawatt-hours of electricity annually), data center owners and operators are tasked with driving more sustainable and efficient IT operations.
We tackle these challenges through a multi-pronged approach. First, we leverage advanced energy management solutions, such as AI-driven analytics, to optimize power usage across data center operations.
Lastly, we emphasize water conservation by introducing innovative cooling technologies that minimize water usage without compromising performance. By combining innovation, expertise, and a commitment to sustainability, Schneider Electric is empowering the Gulf’s data center operators to lead in efficiency, responsibility, and renewable energy integration.
- What is Schneider Electric’s approach to selecting suppliers for optimized energy efficiency in data centers?
Schneider Electric rigorously selects suppliers for essential components, such as power and control cables, air systems and more, based on energy efficiency ratings, sustainability scores, and project specifications. This careful selection process is usually collaborative in nature and is aimed at enhancing energy efficiency and sustainability across the supply chain, including support for suppliers in adopting renewable energy and sustainable practices.
- Given recent extreme weather events in the region, what risk protection plans does Schneider Electric have for its data centers?
Currently, across the world, we are witnessing immense data center growth driven by an increased interest towards cloud-based solutions. There is an increased need to improve communication networks as well as data storage and processing.
Since data centers are the heart of our digital world, they are also at the center of the IT industry’s energy consumption, which feeds into the global issue of climate crisis. Currently, data centers are responsible for 2% of the world’s CO2 emissions, and hence major contributors to the climate crisis. Globally, the data center is the second largest polluter of the of the environment.
As enterprises make ever greater efforts to become more sustainable, circular economy practices have become more important than ever. Our focus on sustainable infrastructure, energy monitoring, and circular economy principles enables us to enhance data center resilience against both operational demands and external climate risks, ensuring our centers are equipped to withstand current and future environmental challenges.