nLighten, a European edge data center provider, has signed a renewable electricity supply agreement with energy company Uniper covering all of its data center operations in Germany. The contract introduces a baseload hydropower component and hourly, third-party-certified tracking of renewable electricity supply.
Under the agreement, Uniper will provide standard electricity supply alongside guaranteed baseload hydropower through its 24/7 energy offering. The arrangement is designed to deliver continuous carbon-free electricity and enable hourly measurement of renewable energy consumption, verified by TÜV Süd.
Unlike weather-dependent sources such as wind and solar, the hydropower supply provides continuous generation, allowing nLighten to maintain a carbon-free electricity baseline regardless of grid conditions or time of day.
The contract also includes a flexible structure that allows nLighten to add further renewable energy sources, including wind and solar, as demand increases. Uniper will act as the balancing partner to manage supply and demand across the portfolio.
“This partnership is an important step for our activities in Germany,” said Francesco Marasco, VP of Energy Operations & Sustainability at nLighten. “The baseload hydropower component offers security and transparency that are of great value particularly in the German market. Even during periods of low renewable feed-in from weather-dependent sources, we maintain a constant base of carbon-free energy. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to making the transition: away from traditional approaches based on annual certificates toward hourly traceable renewable energy procurement.”
Andreas Gemballa, CCO at Uniper Energy Sales, said: “We are proud to contribute to nLighten’s sustainability goals through this innovative supply agreement. As one of Germany’s leading energy providers, we understand the evolving requirements of the data center industry. Transparent and reliable renewable energy solutions are in demand. Through the combination of flexible electricity procurement, guaranteed baseload hydropower, and hourly traceability, our 24/7 solution offers the reliability and security that are essential for modern digital infrastructures. I am convinced that this is the beginning of a strong and mutually beneficial partnership. The agreement also shows how progressive energy providers like Uniper can work with forward-looking data center operators to help them comply with energy efficiency regulations and advance the energy transition.”
The German agreement is part of nLighten’s wider European energy strategy. The company has previously established renewable supply partnerships in the United Kingdom with Conrad Energy, in Spain with Shell, and in France with Axpo. These agreements share a focus on market-specific renewable sourcing combined with hourly tracking of electricity generation and consumption.
nLighten said its approach is intended to move away from annual guarantees of origin toward real-time or near real-time verification of renewable energy use. The company stated that this model is designed to improve transparency and accountability in energy procurement across its data center portfolio.
For customers, the company said the agreement provides an auditable basis for sustainability reporting, including Scope 3 emissions disclosures. By using hourly verified hydropower and renewable electricity supply, nLighten aims to support corporate reporting requirements as regulatory scrutiny of energy and emissions data continues to increase across Europe.
