The push for more dedicated use of renewable energies has been given a boost recently by Texas startup Baryonyx Corp, who has successfully procured the lease for what will be the largest offshore wind concessions in the USA.
A total of 8,000 acres of land in Dallam County and 38,000 acres in the Gulf of Mexico will power ‘Tier4’ data centers by generating a potential 3GW of energy.
The project will also use hydrogen fuel cells and solar power to support its facilities, and excess power has been promised to Texas schools, prisons and cities as a sustainable ‘green’ resource.
The particular approach taken by the company is patent pending and attempts to prove that it is possible to minimize transmission losses while avoiding high infrastructure costs by locating wind farms in remote rural and offshore areas.
“Since the mid-1960’s consumption of oil and gas has outstripped reserves replacement by the exploration drill-bit," said Baryonyx CEO Ian Hatton. "There has also been a relentless increase in demand for energy on a global basis. In the same period, global adoption of web delivered services – particularly those of the larger search engines - has substantially added to energy demand and now accounts for over 1.5% of global energy demand with a substantive carbon footprint. That demand is still increasing".
Baryonyx believes it will be around three years before it is ready for operation. Its ambition underlines the importance of finding alternatives to imported energy.