Equinix has begun a 12-week trial of hydrogen-powered backup generation at its DB3 data centre in Blanchardstown, Dublin.

The project, delivered in partnership with ESB and GeoPura, will see two hydrogen-powered generators used to support cooling systems at the facility. According to Equinix, the pilot has already helped bring the site’s power usage effectiveness (PUE) to below 1.3.

That’s an important milestone for Equinix, especially in Dublin. The data centre industry continues to face pressure from the wider public due to grid capacity constraints, with the Irish Government stepping in to place more restrictions on digital infrastructure to ease the impact on the wider grid. 

While this project doesn’t exactly act as a silver bullet for that – it does one thing many campaigners against the development of data centres have been calling for, and that’s reducing the facility’s reliance on diesel backup generation. 

While hydrogen is not yet a proven replacement for diesel backup generation at scale, the Equinix trial is designed to test how the technology performs in a live critical environment. The company says it is the first time it has deployed hydrogen power for data centre critical backup systems across its global estate of more than 280 facilities.

The two units, developed by GeoPura, are housed in shipping container-sized systems and are being run in parallel. One of the units is owned by ESB. Together, they can provide up to half a megawatt of continuous power and are designed to switch on when needed through an uninterruptible power supply system.

GeoPura is supplying the green hydrogen for the project, which is produced using renewable electricity. At the point of use, the hydrogen fuel cell system produces electricity with no direct onsite emissions, with water and heat as byproducts.

That final point could become important if the trial is taken further. Equinix says waste heat from the units could potentially support future district heating projects, while the water could be recycled into onsite cooling systems to reduce mains water use.

When will hydrogen see wider deployments? 

Hydrogen has long been seen as a way for the data centre industry to further clean up its image, as it looks beyond diesel generators. There have already been positive signs on that front, with Microsoft previously partnering with ESB on its own trial of the technology in Dublin. 

Despite that partnership kicking off in 2024, it’s safe to say there hasn’t exactly been a revolution when it comes to hydrogen power. While the technology works perfectly well, as earlier trials have shown, companies have found it difficult to make the commercials work. 

Data centres need a reliable source of backup power, and diesel generators offer just that – and they do it in a way that is cheap. While it’s not great when it comes to emissions, there isn’t exactly an abundance of low-emissions hydrogen being produced either. According to the IEA, around 1 Mt of low-emissions hydrogen was produced in 2025, less than 1% of the total hydrogen produced globally. That means getting access to it is expensive, and many data centres just aren’t willing to pay the price. 

That’s why hydrogen remains part of trials. It means the data centre operator gets good PR for going green, without costing an absolute fortune by rolling it out across an entire estate at this stage. It also provides valuable data to help guide future deployment when the cost of low-emissions hydrogen comes down dramatically – which isn’t likely to happen until the 2030s. 

Peter Lantry, Managing Director of Equinix Ireland, noted, “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. Ireland is already making serious moves on hydrogen and how it can be stored at scale here. 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.”

Minister Timmy Dooley, Minister of State at Ireland’s Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, added, “Hydrogen has the potential to play an important role in Ireland’s transition to a more sustainable energy system. Projects such as this provide valuable opportunities to test emerging technologies in real-world environments and deepen our understanding of how they can support future energy needs.

“It is encouraging to see companies operating in sectors that are critical to Ireland’s economic growth exploring innovative approaches to reducing emissions. Trials like this help build knowledge, foster collaboration and contribute to the wider conversation about how new energy solutions can support Ireland’s climate ambitions.”