Executive Summary

• Equinix, ESB and GeoPura are working together to deploy a hydrogen power unit for data centre critical backup systems, with two generators installed to support cooling systems within Equinix’s Dublin facility
• The hydrogen power units are scalable up to 50MW to support backup and prime power applications, and can respond in real time to changes in grid capacity through UPS
• Andrew Cunningham, CEO of GeoPura, said that by combining hydrogen fuel cell technology with battery systems and uninterruptible power capabilities, the goal is to deliver ‘reliable zero direct onsite emission power that can respond instantly when required’

Data centre and colocation provider Equinix has trialled its first ever deployment of a hydrogen power unit for data centre critical backup systems.

The 12-week pilot, in Ireland, is alongside Ireland’s largest energy company ESB and renewable energy firm GeoPura, Two hydrogen-powered generators – one of which is owned by ESB – were installed onsite at Equinix’s DB3 data centre in Dublin to support cooling systems within its facility.

GeoPura is supplying Equinix with hydrogen from renewable sources for the project. The two units, running in parallel, aim to provide a zero direct onsite emissions alternative to traditional diesel or gas generators. Through uninterruptible power supply (UPS), the hydrogen power units can respond in real time to changes in grid capacity and ‘switch on’ when needed, providing up to half a megawatt of continuous power. The units are scalable up to 50MW to support both backup and prime power applications, the companies note.

One of the project’s key goals is to provide Equinix and ESB with valuable data insights into carbon reduction potential, along with insight into the potential of grid peak shaving. This, it is hoped, could be used by policymakers and universities in Ireland to assess the best deployment solutions for the country.

While the project is naturally focusing on the data centre, the hope is that the use of hydrogen power could extend to industries such as construction, and other sites with temporary power needs traditionally reliant on diesel generation.

“This is a landmark research project that could be part of the solution to Ireland’s grid constraints and the challenge of accessing clean energy,” said Peter Lantry, managing director of Equinix Ireland.

“Ireland is already making serious moves on hydrogen and how it can be stored at scale here,” added Lantry. “What we’re doing with ESB is a different piece of the same puzzle: proving that hydrogen can work as a practical, zero direct onsite emissions alternative to diesel and gas in a live environment.

“If this pilot delivers what we expect, it adds real momentum to Ireland’s decarbonisation story,” Landry added.

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