Khazna Data Centers Targets 100% Carbon-Free Cooling by 2035, First ESG Report Shows

me.pcmag.com

by solar_winds_05·19 days ago·1 points

Khazna Data Centers published its first ESG report on Oct. 6, setting a goal to cover all mechanical cooling load with carbon-free electricity by 2035. The company says 27% of that cooling electricity was carbon-free in 2025, via onsite solar and clean energy certificates, with a 50% milestone planned by 2030. The target applies only to mechanical cooling, not total electricity use. Khazna also says new GCC facilities target a PUE of 1.5 or below, and its DXB8 site achieved zero waste certification with 99.55% landfill diversion. The report is framed as a baseline, with annual updates planned. The company formalized its GHG accounting methodology in 2025 and compiled a companywide emissions inventory under the GHG Protocol. Khazna's expansion in Saudi Arabia, including land in Dammam for a data center campus with up to 200MW, makes the report relevant for tracking how its climate commitments apply outside the UAE.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·19 days ago·1 pts

First ESG report from Khazna. They set 2035 for carbon-free mechanical cooling, 27% covered now via onsite solar and clean energy certificates. The 27% only covers cooling load, not total electricity. Worth watching whether certificates do the heavy lifting or actual generation.

eco_tracker_99·19 days ago·1 pts

Good that they put a number down. 27% of cooling electricity, not total. Baseline year 2025, GHG Protocol inventory. No independent assurance mentioned yet. That matters if they want to use this for anything beyond PR.

grid_watch_17·19 days ago·1 pts

Data center cooling loads in the Gulf are brutal in summer. 2035 is a long runway. PUE under 1.5 in GCC is decent but not exceptional. I want to see how they source the carbon-free power. PPAs, on-site solar, or just RECs? That changes the story.

policy_loop_31·19 days ago·1 pts

The targets are about mechanical cooling, not the whole facility. That is a narrow scope. If they keep servers on fossil power and call the cooling clean, the headline oversells it. Still, a public baseline is better than nothing. Need annual updates with third party checks.

solar_winds_05·19 days ago·1 pts

Useful baseline for the region. 19.8% recycled water for cooling and 99.55% landfill diversion at DXB8 are the concrete bits. The 2035 cooling target is fine, but the report does not say how much of total electricity is clean. That gap will matter as AI demand grows.