Electrical cables: Weaving sustainability into datacentre specifications

Electrical cables are one of the largest unit items by volume in a Data Centre, with thousands of kilometres being installed to support operations – yet their role in critical infrastructure is often overlooked.

These cables, with copper or aluminium conductors with polymer insulations and sheathing (and various other component layers), must meet the conductivity and performance properties dictated by cable standards. To do this, it means virgin-grade materials. In practical terms, there’s only limited amounts of recycled materials used - manufacturers estimate approximately 15% recycled copper, and technological advances that will see increased use of recycled polymer content going forward, but for now it’s still primarily new raw materials.

So given that compliant manufacturing is a must, how do you weave in sustainability considerations in too?

Goal #1: Build it to last

We often say that the most sustainable decision you can make for any project – data centre or otherwise - is centred on specification: the right cable for the right job. Tightly match the performance demands, installation design, and environmental challenges it will face in operation, and then confirm through testing that it meets the relevant standards and compliance requirements. Doing so means it’s less likely to fail and require replacement (whether at commissioning stage or at any time short of the anticipated 25-30 year lifespan), need remedial maintenance works, or have knock-on effects on the wider systems and equipment. Obvious really – sustainable operation avoids downtime.

Goal #2: Product details – understand embodied carbon emissions

Whatever the stage of your company’s sustainability journey, understanding baseline data from the products you’re using can help direct the path to take. How can you make progress and improvements if you don’t know where you are to begin with? As reporting requirements and legislative compliance on sustainability matters increase, this becomes ever-more important.

Embodied carbon emissions (the cumulative total of emissions from raw mineral extraction and materials used, the energy for manufacturing, transportation, packaging and other processes to create a finished product) are measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (tCO2e). LifeCycle Analysis documents (LCAs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) with this product-level information is a good way to compare ‘apples with apples’.

Depending on relevant cable standards and building regulations, specifications could also potentially support project-wide emissions savings: What about using direct burial armoured cables instead of pouring concrete ducting for instance? What about more flexible conductors so there’s a tighter bend radius, making installation easier? It would save time on digging trenches, meaning less plant equipment being run and fewer man-hours, and make terminations easier. Consider the big picture alongside that product focus.

Goal #3: Identify supplier-specific benefits

Every supplier will talk about their ESG actions, but how does it benefit you? For instance, running on 100% renewable energy translates into reduced embodied emissions for the products supplied to you; deliveries to site from HGVs fuelled with sustainable HVO biofuels do the same – a circa 90% reduction compared to diesel engines. But on-time delivery rates can also bring benefits as it means your contractors aren’t sat idle waiting on a late delivery having driven to site in their vans, with plant equipment running on diesel generators.

One of the big benefits of sustainability professionals is that there’s a recognition that collaboration is essential – none of us can achieve our goals alone. Your supply chain is there to support you – don’t hold back from requesting information and asking how it benefits you!

Goal #4: Try to quantify Social Value

It’s a bit of a buzzword, but it brings in wider ESG aspects beyond just the ecological impact. This is less product-specific and instead about the ways you support your staff and what you do in the community. How many apprentices do you employ? What community or charitable initiatives do you engage with and what impact does it have? What are you doing to ensure ethical practices through your supply chain?

Quantifying it can be hard but it’s a good way of getting a feel for the suppliers you’re using, and for your own customers to see beyond the corporate image to the good work that you do. It doesn’t have to be entirely separate from corporate goals, just weighted more towards ‘giving back’ and doing the right thing for the right reason.

Goal #5: Align with public commitments (and use it to assess others)

How do you make sense of all this? How do others? Public commitments such as verified Science Based Targets (SBTi) and becoming a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide frameworks to set your actions around. Part of the requirements for this is accurately reporting your Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions – you’ll need the support of your supply chain to achieve this though.

Once again, choosing your supplier can aid this process. Platforms such as Ecovadis are helpful here, with criteria that covers Environment, Ethical, Sustainable Operations, and Labour & Human Rights. Rating well here can indicate a company that will be able to support you in your own corporate sustainability journey – and on your project-specific requirements.

Goal #6: Consider End-of-Life

Lastly, in most cases the data centre being built now will be retro-fitted or adapted long before the electrical cables installed come to the end of their operational lifespan. You’ll also have cable waste from the installation process, packaging and cable drums to handle too. Be certain to feed these materials back into the circular economy by recycling. It doesn’t necessarily reduce your project’s embodied emissions but will help the wider industry.

It's still a journey

Let’s be clear: it’s not a perfect route to sustainability – not all the answers are available yet. It’s about doing the best you can today, before iterating and improving going forwards. Yes, there’s limitations, but there’s also a lot we can do to make specifying, procuring, and installing electrical cables into data centres more sustainable. After all, digitalisation in itself is a step towards that solution!

 

As published in Intelligent Data Centre Magazine - August 22nd 2024