Caterpillar and Microsoft test hydrogen fuel cells for datacenters

Caterpillar, a manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, recently announced the successful results of a project in collaboration with Microsoft and Ballard Power Systems that demonstrated the feasibility of using large-format hydrogen fuel cells to provide reliable and sustainable power to datacenters.

The demonstration was carried out in a challenging environment, according to the companies, at around 1,800 metres above sea level and temperatures below zero. The project simulated an event with a backup power supply for 48 hours at Microsoft’s datacenter in Cheyenne, Wyoming (United States). A hydrogen fuel cell was integrated into the datacenter’s power plant to support critical loads.

It was possible to power this multi-megawatt consumer datacenter uninterruptedly and meeting uptime requirements of 99.999%. A Caterpillar microgrid controller was used to operate two Cat Power Grid Stabilisation (PGS) 1260 battery energy storage systems along with the 1.5 MW hydrogen fuel cell.

Caterpillar led the project, ensuring the overall integration of the system, the electronics and the microgrid controls that formed the core structure of the hydrogen energy source solution.

“This successful collaboration with Microsoft and Ballard demonstrates the potential of hydrogen fuel cells to help datacenters meet critical energy demands while reducing carbon emissions,” says Jaime Mineart, senior vice president of Caterpillar Electric Power.

“The success of this project presents an opportunity for suppliers of hyperscale environments to think about promoting innovations in favour of the sustainability of energy generation technologies,” said Sean James, senior director of datacenter research at Microsoft, pointing out that this research and the results related to hydrogen fuel cells will help the company achieve its goal of having negative carbon emission rates by 2030.

The project was supported and partially funded by the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies as part of the H2@Scale initiative, which brings together groups to promote affordable hydrogen production, transport, storage and use in various sectors. During the demonstration, the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) analysed the safety, economic and greenhouse gas impacts.

“We see the completion of this demonstration as significant proof of the reliability and durability of Ballard’s fuel cells as a zero-emission backup power source for datacenters. We are excited to see that our products are able to meet the critical energy demands of datacenter customers, a rapidly growing sector,” says David Mucciacciaro, commercial director of Ballard Power Systems.

Another initiative

Last December, Honda, Mitsubishi and Tokuyama unveiled a project to demonstrate the operation of a datacenter powered by hydrogen as a by-product of a saltwater electrolysis plant, using fuel cells from electric vehicles.

Conducted in the Japanese city of Shunan, Yamaguchi Prefecture, the initiative aims to supply electricity to a datacenter operated by Mitsubishi from a stationary power station that Honda will develop based on the reuse of fuel cells from electric vehicles. It will use hydrogen that results as a by-product from a Tokuyama plant that makes industrial electrolysis of salt water.

There will be two main demonstration points in the project: (1) verification of the use of fuel cells in primary and backup energy sources for datacenters and the balancing of networks; and (2) verification of the economic factors and feasibility of integrated hydrogen business models to operate fuel cells and supply hydrogen.

According to the partner companies, the project will run from 31 March 2024 to 31 March 2026.