VIRTUS Secures Wind Power Deal for Net Zero Data Centres
VIRTUS Data Centres has taken another major step towards its net zero ambitions through a new corporate power purchase agreement (CPPA) supported by Inspired, one of the UK’s leading commercial energy and sustainability advisory firm.
The deal secures renewable energy from the Lynn and Inner Dowsing (LID) offshore windfarms to power VIRTUS facilities from October 2025.
A landmark tri-party agreement
The CPPA, signed between Inspired, VIRTUS and the LID windfarms, represents 31 MW of wind power capacity – equivalent to 16% of the farms’ total generation.
It marks a long-term commitment by VIRTUS to integrate renewable energy directly into its data centre operations, ensuring that a significant proportion of its energy use is matched to offshore wind production.
CPPAs are becoming an increasingly popular route for energy-intensive businesses to decarbonise, as they offer traceability of renewable power to a specific generation project.
For data centre operators, this provides a reliable pathway to secure green energy at scale, directly aligned to sustainability targets.
David Cockshott, Chief Commercial Officer at Inspired, emphasises the consultancy’s role in supporting the transition.
“Inspired has been proud to partner with VIRTUS as their dedicated energy consultant,” he says. “We are excited to continue supporting their sustainable journey and to commence this tri-party agreement, which allows renewable power to flow directly to their data centres.”
VIRTUS’s renewable energy strategy
Since launching its first site in 2011, VIRTUS has operated using electricity from renewable sources. The company has consistently highlighted sustainability as a core pillar of its operations, aligning its expansion with environmental responsibility.
“As an energy intensive user, we know it’s our responsibility to minimise the environmental impact from all our data centre facilities,” says Helen Kinsman, SVP Commercial and Regulatory Affairs at VIRTUS.
“Hence, since going live with our first site in 2011, we have been procuring power from 100% renewable sources. We are committed to delivering reliable, resilient and responsible digital infrastructure to our customers and operate the gold standard in sustainable data centres in the UK and Europe.”
The agreement with Inspired and LID windfarms reinforces this strategy by ensuring VIRTUS can maintain supply resilience while securing power from a dedicated renewable source.
Offshore wind powering digital growth
The renewable energy will be supplied by the Lynn and Inner Dowsing windfarms, located 5km off the coast of Skegness, Lincolnshire.
The assets are owned by funds managed by Macquarie Asset Management, with operational support from UK-based asset manager XceCo Ltd, which specialises in renewable energy ventures.
Bailey Bradley, Managing Director and co-founder of XceCo, describes the project as a collaborative achievement.
“The successful delivery of this CPPA for one of our offshore wind farm assets under management stands as a testament to the exceptional collaboration between XceCo and all stakeholders involved in delivering this transaction,” says Bailey.
“The commercial complexities involved in delivering this CPPA have proven to be a great experience. Through painstaking efforts, continuous multi-party engagements, a shared vision and unwavering commitment, we turned a complex challenge into a powerful achievement, generating success together.”
Supporting long-term resilience
For VIRTUS, the CPPA represents more than just energy procurement. It underscores its commitment to sustainable, resilient digital infrastructure, a priority as data centres face rising scrutiny over energy use and environmental impact.
By securing renewable power directly through long-term agreements, operators like VIRTUS can provide assurance to customers that their workloads are supported by sustainable sources.
Inspired continues to provide a range of services to VIRTUS as its energy and sustainability consultant, including strategic guidance on efficiency, compliance and long-term energy planning. The partnership ensures that as VIRTUS expands its footprint, its operations remain aligned with net zero objectives.
With the CPPA now in place, VIRTUS reinforces its role as one of the UK’s leading providers of sustainable data centres.
The agreement demonstrates how collaboration between energy specialists, asset managers and digital infrastructure providers can unlock meaningful progress towards decarbonisation.
