Why clean power alone won't decarbonize datacenters
Artificial intelligence is driving rapid growth in datacenter infrastructure. As new facilities are built to meet demand, reducing their climate impact requires looking beyond operational emissions and renewable electricity.
Datacenters are estimated to account for around 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. As operators transition to cleaner energy sources, embodied carbon from construction materials becomes a larger share of the overall footprint.
Steel is one of the biggest sources, accounting for up to 20-30 percent of a datacenter's embodied carbon emissions.
Steel – a material choice with major impact
At Stegra, we will produce steel with up to 95 percent lower CO₂ emissions compared with conventional steelmaking.
For datacenter developers, switching to near-zero emission steel in structural components, server racks, cable management and other supporting infrastructure can reduce emissions from steel components by up to 80 percent, without compromising performance or requiring redesigns.
Building the next generation of digital infrastructure
As AI infrastructure continues to expand, regulations and reporting requirements are placing greater focus on lifecycle emissions and Scope 3 reductions. Material choices are becoming increasingly important for developers looking to reduce emissions across the value chain.
Near-zero emission steel offers a scalable way to lower the embodied carbon footprint of datacenters while supporting continued digital growth.
The future of datacenters is not only powered by clean energy. It is built with cleaner materials.