Microsoft signs first renewable energy deal in Asia

New York [USA], March 01 (ANI): As part of its goal to use more renewable energy in its datacentres, technology giant Microsoft on Thursday said that it has entered into an agreement with Singapore-based clean energy firm Sunseap.

The value of Microsoft's investment was not disclosed, but an announcement said it will create "the single-largest solar energy portfolio in Singapore to date," according to TechCrunch.

During the 20-year agreement, Microsoft will buy 100 percent of the renewable energy that the solar project, which has a peak output of 60 megawatts, exports to the grid.

The project with Sunseap is Microsoft's first clean energy deal in Asia and its third in total.

Last year, it made agreements to buy all the energy generated by GE's new wind farm in County Kerry, Ireland and a wind farm operated by Vattenfall in the Netherlands.

In 2017, the Singaporean government said that it will introduce a carbon tax in 2019 to encourage companies to use renewable energy resources.

Microsoft's datacentres in Singapore power Microsoft Azure, Office 365 and other services for users in south-east Asia.

Sunseap claims to be the leading solar energy provider in Singapore and also operates in other south-east Asian markets, including Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. (ANI)