How Hitachi Vantara Tech Drives Corporate Sustainability
Hitachi Vantara has published its FY2024 Sustainability Report, detailing progress in energy consumption reduction, carbon emissions management and sustainable product development at a time when data centre energy use continues to rise.
The report marks the second edition of the company’s annual environmental, social and governance (ESG) transparency reporting and comes as the data storage, infrastructure and hybrid cloud management subsidiary of Hitachi attempts to position itself as a provider of sustainable infrastructure solutions.
According to the US Department of Energy, data centres consumed 4% of US electricity last year, with projections suggesting this could reach 12% by 2028. This increase stems from growing adoption of AI and data-intensive workloads, creating pressure on organisations to balance performance requirements with energy efficiency.
Hitachi Vantara VSP One Block achieves ENERGY STAR certification
A central achievement highlighted in the report is the ENERGY STAR certification for multiple Hitachi Vantara storage solutions. The company’s Virtual Storage Platform One Block (VSP One Block) secured the top ranking for energy efficiency in the ENERGY STAR NVSS Disk Online 4 category.
The company has also made progress in its manufacturing processes. Currently, 40% by weight of materials used in bezels for VSP One Block and File storage models come from post-consumer recycled plastics. The company states it plans to increase recycled content to 50% by FY2030 through expanded use of recycled materials in drive canisters and biomass-based parts.
“We're proud of the progress we’ve made since our inaugural Sustainability Report, but we know the journey doesn't end there,” says Sheila Rohra, CEO of Hitachi Vantara. “Our focus remains on highlighting how sustainability, particularly in the data centre, can be both a key driver of innovation and a business differentiator – from reducing carbon emissions to helping businesses achieve energy savings, enhance operational efficiency and meet their broader sustainability goals.”
Hitachi Vantara distribution centre generates renewable energy through on-site solar production
The report details operations at the company’s distribution centre in the Netherlands, which generates approximately 30% of its electricity consumption from on-site solar production. The remaining electricity requirements are met through verified Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs), enabling the centre to operate entirely on renewable energy.
- Data centres consumed 4% of US electricity last year, potentially reaching 12% by 2028
- Hitachi Vantara's Netherlands distribution centre generates 30% of electricity from on-site solar
- A Denver facility data centre refresh reduced energy consumption by 50% and improved PUE from 1.6 to 1.3
Hitachi Vantara consumed 78,211 MWh of energy in FY2024, with 90% coming from grid electricity and 35% from renewable sources such as solar and wind. A data centre refresh at its Denver facility delivered substantial improvements, with energy consumption reduced by 50% and power usage effectiveness (PUE) improved from 1.6 to 1.3.
The report also reaffirms the company’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by FY2030, with a longer-term goal of carbon neutrality across its value chain by FY2050.
Sustainability benefits across manufacturing and telecommunications sectors
The sustainability report features case studies demonstrating how Hitachi Vantara’s technology has helped customers reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.
Italian pasta manufacturer La Molisana implemented VSP One Block, resulting in a 30% reduction in energy consumption and a 2.5x improvement in response times. “Sustainability was an important factor in our selection of VSP One Block,” says Maurizio Maio, CIO of La Molisana. “Although the energy consumption of our data centre is relatively low compared to our manufacturing operations, we are keen to implement eco-friendly IT solutions. The energy-efficient VSP One Block aligns perfectly with our vision.”
In India, media company Malayala Manorama deployed Hitachi Vantara infrastructure that reduced rack space by 66% and cut power and cooling costs by 70%. Estonian telecommunications provider Elisa Eesti modernised its data infrastructure with Hitachi Vantara’s Virtual Storage Platform, which tripled energy efficiency and reduced the company's carbon footprint.
Looking forward, Hitachi Vantara has introduced a Sustainability Guarantee as part of its storage platform offering for FY2025. Available with VSP One, the guarantee enables businesses to track and optimise energy consumption while guaranteeing a maximum power consumption target.
“We’re proud of the progress we've made since our inaugural Sustainability Report, but we know the journey doesn't end there,” says Sheila Rohra. “Our focus remains on highlighting how sustainability, particularly in the data centre, can be both a key driver of innovation and a business differentiator – from reducing carbon emissions to helping businesses achieve energy savings, enhance operational efficiency and meet their broader sustainability goals.”
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