Virgin Media O2 UK Agrees New 10-year Renewable Energy Deal
Broadband and mobile giant Virgin Media and O2 (VMO2), which currently aims to achieve Net Zero Carbon (i.e. removing as many emissions as they produce) across their operations, products and supply chain by 2040, has today signed a new 10-year Power Purchase Agreement with The Renewables Infrastructure Group (TRIG) to harness renewable electricity.
Under the agreement, which starts in April 2026, TRIG will provide renewable electricity to the company, reflecting around 15% of VMO2’s total energy supply. TRIG typically develops, constructs and operates a portfolio of renewable energy infrastructure across the UK and other countries. For example, TRIG’s wind farms – Earlseat in Scotland, and Garreg Lwyd in Wales, will help to power the company’s sites across the UK.
The deal hands VMO2 a long-term renewable energy supply with predictable costs, which should help them to mitigate price volatility in the wider energy market while also supporting renewable energy generation in the UK.
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Dana Haidan, Chief Sustainability Officer at VMO2, said:
“This agreement marks the next step in Virgin Media O2’s journey to achieving net zero by the end of 2040 – 10 years ahead of the UK.
By purchasing long-term renewable energy at scale, we’re not only cutting carbon but protecting our network from future energy shocks. Power Purchase Agreements offer price certainty, operational resilience and long-term value.
Virgin Media O2 is committed to growing responsibly, delivering resilient digital infrastructure that support the planet, our customers, and the communities we serve.”
You can check out the progress they’ve been making toward their Net Zero goals here.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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How does this actually work? TRIG’s generation capacity already exists and would go to the grid anyway. VM will still be getting energy from the grid. I see how it hedges VM’s energy costs but they’re still consuming energy at whatever carbon rate the grid is currently supplying it at.
Th renewable generation site gets something called a REGO for every MWh of energy produced. VMO2 will be agreeing to buy this too to say their energy is “sustainable”. Whilst the energy they get will be from the national grid, this under ofgem legislation offsets it. (Reality is different but that’s a story for another time)
Makes me chuckle does this. Vast amounts of VMO2s technical estate still use partially functioning HVAC, the majority of the equipment from 1995 to 2003 era. The AC units running ambient air as the refrigerant has long escaped into the atmosphere. Gives a real rustic feel when you visit a site and it’s warmer inside than outside.
Many major sites and a single incoming mains going into switch gear that has no OEM support because it’s so old.
Using old but working stuff is almost always more resource and energy efficient than throwing it out and installing new equipment. This is because you have to also consider the environmental and energy impact of manufacturing the new equipment.
Of course, when it gets to EOL, then you replace with efficient modern versions.
Additionally, the warmer you can run your computing infrastructure, the more energy efficient you are. You save energy that you didn’t spend cooling the machine down, so if it can run safely with required performance at 60C, there’s no need to expend energy to cool it down to a lower temperature.