Caterpillar has collaborated with Microsoft and Ballard Power Systems to demonstrate the use of large-format hydrogen fuel cells to provide back-up power for data centres.

The demonstration simulated a 48-hour back-up power event at Microsoft’s Cheyenne, Wyoming facility, where a hydrogen fuel cell was integrated into a data centre electrical plant to support its critical load. The project tested the hydrogen fuel cell power system’s performance 1,855m above sea level in below-freezing conditions, using a Caterpillar microgrid controller to operate two Cat power grid stabilisation (PGS) 1260 battery energy storage systems with the 1.5 MW hydrogen fuel cell.

Leading the project, Caterpillar provided the overall system integration, power electronics, and microgrid controls for the central structure of the hydrogen power solution.

“This successful collaboration with Microsoft and Ballard demonstrates the potential of hydrogen fuel cells to help data centres address their critical power needs while reducing their emissions,” said Jaime Mineart, Senior Vice President of Caterpillar Electric Power.

“This project’s success provides an opportunity for hyperscale providers to drive innovations in the sustainability of power generation technologies,” added Sean James, Senior Director of data centre research at Microsoft.

“The research and findings of the hydrogen fuel cell demonstration will help us towards our goal of becoming carbon negative by 2030.”

The project was partially funded by the US Department of Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (DOE) under the H2@Scale initiative, which aims to promote affordable hydrogen production, transport, storage and utilisation. The DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) was on hand during the project to monitor safety, techno-economics, and greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts.