LG Uplus said on Friday it signed a renewable energy contract with GS E&C to support carbon neutrality at its offices, including data centres.

The contract is a strategic step to run LG Uplus data centres, which consume large amounts of electricity, on renewable energy. Under the renewable energy power purchase agreement, LG Uplus will receive about 17 GWh a year from a solar power plant in Taean, South Chungcheong province, for 20 years.

The electricity will be used from September at six offices, including the Seocho IDC. LG Uplus expects to cut about 7,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases a year by replacing its power use with renewable energy.

LG Uplus and GS E&C will cooperate to achieve RE100, a government energy policy. Under the memorandum of understanding, the companies will pursue cooperation on supplying and procuring about 10 MW of renewable energy a year for three years from 2027.

Lee Cheol-hoon (이철훈), vice president and head of LG Uplus' communication centre, said, "Through cooperation with GS E&C, we have laid the foundation to operate data centres in an environmentally friendly way." He said, "We will build a core driver of ESG management through stable procurement of renewable energy and deliver differentiated value."

Kim Dong-wook (김동욱), vice president and head of GS E&C's plant business division, said, "I am pleased to become a partner in LG Uplus' journey toward carbon neutrality by supplying environmentally friendly energy based on our plant business capabilities." He said, "We plan to continue to identify various new renewable business opportunities, including Changgi solar power."