(IN BRIEF) BBVA has renewed the Tier IV Gold Certification for Operational Sustainability from the Uptime Institute for its Data Processing Center in Tres Cantos, Madrid. This honor, awarded to data centers that meet stringent operational and energy efficiency standards, highlights BBVA’s leadership in sustainable digital infrastructure. Over 30 energy-saving upgrades, a 460 kW on-site solar plant, and advanced cooling systems contributed to this achievement. Additionally, the bank’s adoption of IBM z15 processors has reduced energy use and carbon emissions by 50% over five years. With Tier IV Gold certifications also in Mexico and Türkiye, BBVA sets a global benchmark for efficient and resilient data center operations.
(PRESS RELEASE) BILBAO, 23-Apr-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — BBVA (BME: BBVA), a Spanish multinational financial services company, has once again demonstrated its leadership in technology and sustainability by renewing the Tier IV Gold Certification for Operational Sustainability from the Uptime Institute for its Data Processing Center (DPC) in Tres Cantos, Madrid. This prestigious distinction—considered the highest global standard for data center operations—not only validates the technical robustness of the facility but also recognizes its superior management practices and energy-efficient operations.
The certification confirms that BBVA’s data center not only meets Tier IV infrastructure criteria, such as fault tolerance and redundancy, but also excels in optimizing operations and maintenance to ensure consistent uptime, operational resilience, and environmental performance. Renewed every three years, this accreditation involves a rigorous audit to ensure continued compliance with best-in-class operational standards.
BBVA’s success in retaining this certification is largely attributed to over 30 energy efficiency upgrades introduced in recent years. These include enclosing cold aisles at the rack level to minimize cooling requirements, leading to an annual energy saving of over 800 MWh. In addition, a photovoltaic solar plant installed on-site now generates 460 kW of renewable power exclusively for internal consumption.
The bank has also improved operational parameters to align early with the European Union’s future energy-efficiency regulations and has implemented a Learning Management System (LMS) to upskill technical personnel in energy optimization and critical operations.
Separately, BBVA’s collaboration with IBM to replace its central processors at DPCs in Spain and Mexico with IBM z15 systems has halved energy consumption and carbon emissions over a five-year period. This move complements the data center’s broader sustainability goals.
With additional Tier IV Gold-certified facilities in Mexico and at Garanti BBVA in Türkiye, BBVA continues to set an international benchmark in digital infrastructure performance and sustainable innovation.
SOURCE: Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.
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First published in this link of EuropaWIRE.
