Feeding the AI beast, with some beauty

From steam engines to silicon, from diesel to digitisation, from hardware to algorithms, from horsepower to AI jockeys – the world has been taking one big turn after another. But some questions, somehow, keep haunting every jump, every switch and every revolution. Guzzling energy just changes the straw not the appetite. Carbon footprint simply accumulates in a different form of horse-dung. The pattern continues with AI. Let’s ask someone who can show a full swing from diesel to new energy realities as he shows us the balanced grip on the new world we are moving towards. Can we ever turbo-charge progress without cranking down sustainability? Mendonca tells us why, and why not.

What is your reckoning of some estimates on how data centres face the brunt of AI-appetite: Like the International Energy Agency (IEA) has estimated that global electricity demand from data centers could double up between 2022 and 2026.

AI-driven growth is placing an unprecedented load on data centres worldwide, and India is poised to shoulder a large share of the incremental electricity, real estate, and cooling burden created by rising AI demand. The IEA has estimated a trajectory that AI is accelerating at a rapid pace.

Under realistic scenarios, AI workloads alone could require on the order of 1–1.5 GW of continuous IT power—equivalent to 8.8–13 TWh annually—in India by 2030. This translates into a significant new draw on grids, water resources, and capex for cooling and power infrastructure. Recent analyses indicate that while AI’s share of data centre power today stands in the single-digit to low-teens range, it could climb to 20–40 per cent or more by 2030 in some scenarios, fundamentally reshaping the power-consumption profile of digital infrastructure.

Under realistic scenarios, AI workloads alone could require on the order of 1–1.5 GW of continuous IT power—equivalent to 8.8–13 TWh annually—in India by 2030.

What implications does this demand have on diesel energy assets?

Against this backdrop, diesel gensets will continue to be indispensable as reliable backup solutions to meet rising power demands and ensure uninterrupted uptime. At the same time, global forums are actively discussing the shift toward greener pathways, with data centres worldwide exploring solar integration, renewable-backed grids, and hybrid solutions as part of their sustainability roadmaps. India’s data centre sector is therefore at a defining inflection point—balancing the imperative of resilient backup power with the responsibility of advancing towards greener, more sustainable energy solutions in the age of AI.

How serious - and easy-to-steer- are Scope 1 and 2 emissions of AI Build-outs - especially with recent headlines on how AI data centre hunger has affected Big Tech (Microsoft, Amazon, Google etc.)’s scorecard on emissions?

The scope 1 and scope 2 emissions for datacenters are bound to increase in the short term. Hence there is a huge focus on reducing carbon footprint of scope 1 and scope 2 emissions, which is done through the usage of renewables and hybrid solutions. The standby diesel engines for data centers are part of scope 1 emissions for data centers. Here Cummins is partnering with the datacenters with a full portfolio of solutions meeting CPCBIV+ and CAQM emission norms. In addition, Cummins products with their superior fuel economy help reduce the carbon footprint of the scope 1 emissions. Further through the introduction of BESS (Battery Energy Storage Solutions), Cummins is helping the datacenters reduce the scope 1 and scope 2 emission footprint.

While the low-carbon energy sources like solar and wind have their own downsides like intermittent nature and reliability, Cummins offers solutions like BESS that help overcome some of the issues with these power sources.

What’s your reckoning of Natural gas solutions for hyper scalers and HVO fuel- are you trying these alternatives? Anything about India that you can share?

As part of our product portfolio, Cummins already offers natural gas gensets for datacenters, and our current range of diesel engines is capable of running on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) as well. For data center customers, we also provide support in designing compliance strategies, whether that involves switching to alternative fuels, tuning engines to minimise NOx formation, or deploying scrubbers, filters, and other aftertreatment systems.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to the decarbonisation journey and we work closely with our customers understand their unique needs and providing technology options that meet those needs.

How can the industry get past the issues with Low-carbon energy source use - like gaps on consistency, its intermittent nature, transmission costs and reliability? Any comments on the reverse turn on fossils in the US now?

As industry moves towards a more sustainable future, data centers are looking for ways to reduce emissions in both their scope 1 and scope 2 emissions. While the low-carbon energy sources like solar and wind have their own downsides like intermittent nature and reliability, Cummins offers solutions like BESS that help overcome some of the issues with these power sources. In addition, Cummins is also heavily invested in working on other storage technologies involving H2 with electrolyzer and H2 ICE (Internal combustion engines) /Fuel cell technologies that help in mitigating the intermittent nature of the green sources.

What’s the potential of hydrogen, SMRs (small modular reactors) (especially with concerns like long lead times and nuclear waste) in data centre sustainability?

In theory SMRs are a viable potential source of energy, but the technology continues to be at initial testing phase and will take time for wider adoption as long as safeguards associated with nuclear raw material and waste and regulatory safeguards are adequately managed.

Hydrogen is another area that is being looked at to overcome the intermittent nature of the renewable sources like wind and Solar. BESS is another competing technology that will be used in place of hydrogen. As the cost of the technologies involving hydrogen (Electrolyzers, Fuel cells) reduce over the medium to long term, the viability of these over BESS would depend on the use case for the particular site.

Tell us about the progress and challenges, the goal of net zero emissions by 2050 and carbon reduction projects undertaken by Cummins.

At Cummins we are focused on our Destination Zero strategy, that focuses on providing our customers with solutions that meet their varied needs. Our products are continuously built and improvised to fit market requirements, improving fuel economy and reducing emissions at every possible level through Bridge Technologies. Building on this, our CAQM-compliant products, CPCB IV+ gensets, and the recent BESS offering—delivering zero-emission power—are strong steps forward as we progress on our Destination Zero strategy.

Over time, data centres are becoming more efficient with chips, but as the number of chips per facility increases, they require high power density products.

When we think of data centres and carbon: what about LCAs (Life Cycle Assessment) and EPDs(Environmental Product Declaration) - how easy and how important?

As data centres grow in scale, sustainability is becoming a competitive differentiator—and that’s where Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) play a critical role. An LCA is a systematic method for evaluating the total environmental impact of a product, process, or system across its entire life cycle.

For a data centre, this spans both upstream (embodied) impacts—such as construction materials, IT equipment manufacturing, and cooling and power infrastructure including gensets—as well as operational impacts like electricity consumption. The result of an LCA is a detailed Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), which is also applicable to gensets.

EPDs enable apple-to-apples comparisons between products or facilities when selecting greener infrastructure. This makes them a valuable tool in procurement, helping industries choose products that demonstrate a clear commitment to net zero goals while also attracting sustainability-conscious clients.

In India, compliance with emission regulations is overseen by CPCB and CAQM. Cummins already has product lines that meet these guidelines—ensuring regulatory compliance without compromising on product life cycle performance.

Can companies aspire for balancing AI-first advantage, reliability and affordability with sustainability and large-scale footprints? Why or why not? What’s Cummins bringing to this table next?

Over time, data centres are becoming more efficient with chips, but as the number of chips per facility increases, they require high power density products. AI can help companies automate many of their processes and decision-making, and the benefits can be immense if it is deployed across the value chain.

While there may be a first-mover advantage, the sustainability of AI adoption will depend largely on how companies innovate in deploying new tools and technologies, and how effectively they balance their sustainability goals—given that AI-driven workloads can be resource-intensive in terms of power and water. Cummins already offers a wide range of high-power density products that support greater power needs while optimising for smaller footprints.

pratimah@cybermedia.co.in