Caterpillar collaborated with Microsoft and Ballard Power Systems to demonstrate the use of hydrogen fuel cells as a sustainable and reliable backup power source in data centers.
This trial highlights the potential of hydrogen technology to meet the demanding uptime requirements of modern data centers.
An innovative attempt under harsh conditions
The demonstration, held at Microsoft’s data center in Cheyenne, Wyoming, included a 1.5 MW hydrogen fuel cell integrated into the facility’s power plant.
The test was conducted at an altitude of 6,086 feet and below freezing temperatures to simulate a 48-hour backup power event and demonstrate the fuel cell system’s ability to support critical loads in difficult environments.
Jaime Mineart, senior vice president of Caterpillar Electric Power, emphasized the importance of this partnership. “This successful partnership with Microsoft and Ballard demonstrates the potential of hydrogen fuel cells to help data centers meet critical power needs while reducing emissions.”
Towards a carbon negative future
Sean James, Microsoft’s senior director of data center research, emphasized that this project aligns with Microsoft’s sustainability goals, saying, “The success of this project is a great opportunity for hyperscale providers to It provides an opportunity to drive innovation in sexuality.”
The project will also help Microsoft towards its goal of becoming carbon negative by 2030.
This project was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s H2@Scale initiative and analyzed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to assess the safety, economics, and environmental impact of using hydrogen fuel cells as a backup power source. Did.
David Mucciacciaro, Chief Commercial Officer of Ballard Power Systems, expressed confidence in the reliability and environmental benefits of Ballard’s fuel cell technology.
“We are excited about the ability of our products to meet the critical power needs of data center customers in this rapidly growing sector,” he said.
