G42, a technology company based in Abu Dhabi, has announced a partnership with Kenyan firm EcoCloud to develop a 1-gigawatt (GW) data centre in Kenya. The EcoCloud-G42 mega data centre will be powered by geothermal energy and aims to reduce fossil fuel dependence and carbon emissions. The initial capacity of the data centre will be 100 megawatts, with the potential to expand up to 1 GW. This project aligns with the global trend of transitioning to renewable energy sources and promoting sustainable practices in the technology sector. G42, known for its advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), is also working on AI solutions for corporate governance and decision-making [008c60c7].
This partnership between G42 and EcoCloud highlights the growing importance of green data centres in the digital transformation era. Data centres are energy-intensive facilities that require a significant amount of power to operate and cool the servers. By leveraging geothermal energy, the EcoCloud-G42 data centre will significantly reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to Kenya's renewable energy goals. Geothermal energy is a clean and sustainable source of power that harnesses the heat from the Earth's core. Kenya, located in the East African Rift System, has abundant geothermal resources, making it an ideal location for such a project.
The development of a green data centre in Kenya is a significant step towards achieving a more sustainable and environmentally friendly technology infrastructure. As the demand for cloud computing and data storage continues to grow, it is crucial to ensure that these operations are powered by renewable energy sources. Green data centres not only reduce carbon emissions but also promote energy efficiency and cost savings. This project will contribute to Kenya's efforts to increase its share of renewable energy in the national grid and support the country's commitment to the Paris Agreement.
The partnership between G42 and EcoCloud also highlights the potential for collaboration between Gulf countries and African nations in the technology and renewable energy sectors. Gulf countries, including the UAE, have been investing heavily in renewable energy projects and are leaders in the adoption of sustainable practices. By partnering with Kenyan companies, Gulf firms can leverage Africa's vast renewable energy resources and contribute to the continent's economic development.
Kenya, Egypt, and Uganda have jointly developed an imaging system for monitoring climate change. Kenya is collaborating with Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, Sudan, and Uganda to build an earth observation satellite for environmental monitoring in the region. The government aims to use space technologies to enable environmental monitoring and facilitate mitigation of contemporary threats to human security and public safety. The global space economy was worth $630 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035. Kenya's first operational earth observation satellite, Taifa-1, was launched in April last year. The satellite is being used to collect greenhouse emission data, hyperspectral images, and research data [fb03a744].
Gulf Edge Company Limited, a subsidiary of Gulf Energy Development Public Company Limited, has partnered with Google Cloud to provide sovereign cloud services in Thailand. The collaboration aims to support digital transformation in key sectors by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics capabilities. Gulf Edge will operate Google Distributed Cloud (GDC) as a managed GDC provider (MGP) with a focus on air-gapped configurations tailored for Thai organizations. The partnership targets sectors such as green energy, data centers, and telecommunications. GDC is a sovereign cloud solution that operates within a customer's designated environment. The comprehensive security measures include hardware security, host and node security, application security, network security, cryptography, IAM, security operations, reliability operations, and compliance monitoring and testing. Gulf Edge plans to provide deployment choices for GDC air-gapped either on-premises or within a Gulf group data center. The options include flexible hardware selections to meet specific workload needs and ensure data, operations, and software remain under the customer's authority and within Thailand's jurisdictional boundaries [447f167f].
Overall, the development of a green data centre in Kenya by G42 and EcoCloud is a significant milestone in the transition to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly technology sector. By harnessing geothermal energy, the data centre will reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and contribute to Kenya's renewable energy goals. This project also highlights the potential for collaboration between Gulf countries and African nations in the renewable energy and technology sectors [008c60c7] [913e43a7] [447f167f].