Google has expanded its 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE) partnership with renewable energy developer Engie in Germany until 2030.

The expansion will see the companies integrate battery energy storage systems (BESS) and additional renewable Power Purchase Agreements into the CFE mechanism.

The companies originally signed the CFE agreement back in 2021, where Engie was appointed as Google’s German CFE manager. In addition to the CFE agreement, the companies also inked a 140MW PPA generated by a portfolio of solar and wind plants in Germany.

“We are delighted with our long-standing, trusting collaboration with Google and are ready to take the next step in supporting Google’s decarbonization strategy and the German energy transition. With our broad portfolio of renewable energies, combined with battery storage and our expertise in energy optimization, we are continuously developing pioneering solutions for Google and enabling the sustainable growth of AI infrastructure,” said Katrin Fuhrmann, head of energy management at Engie Germany.

According to the companies, the goal of the initiative is to provide hourly green energy from new onshore wind and solar projects, complemented by BESS and pumped hydro solutions. To further support this, Engie has said it will integrate energy volumes from Google’s existing long-term PPAs with third-party providers.

As a result of the expansion, the companies claim that it will enable Google’s German operations to run at or near 85 percent carbon-free energy in 2026.

“Building on the success of the partnership signed in 2021, Engie will further support Google’s regional carbon-free energy ambitions in Germany. By actively innovating on energy supply models, Google aims to directly support German decarbonization goals and a clean, reliable, and affordable energy system for everyone,” said Adam Elman, director of sustainability EMEA at Google.

According to Google, the expansion is tied to its recent announcement that it will invest €5.5bn ($6.38bn) into AI infrastructure and office locations in the country between 2026 and 2029.

The investment will support the development of a new facility in Dietzenbach – a town to the south of Frankfurt – as well as continued investments in Google’s existing campus in Hanau.

The company will also expand its office locations in Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich. How much of the investment will go towards data centers versus office space has not been stated.

Google currently operates two cloud regions in Germany, located in Berlin and Frankfurt. The Berlin region was launched in 2023, and Frankfurt in 2017.

Google has signed 24/7 CFE deals with several other companies. In January 2024, it inked a CFE deal with Flexidao across Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.