Power systems manufacturer Rolls-Royce Power Systems has partnered with Ineratec, an e-fuel manufacturer, to decarbonize backup power systems for the data center sector.

The companies aim to displace diesel backup generation – which is the preferred form of backup power in the industry – with synthetic fuels derived from renewable hydrogen and CO2.

The partners will use Ineratec’s synthetic e-diesel as an alternative to traditional petroleum-based diesel. Initial rollout will focus on the German data center sector, with Rolls-Royce deploying the use of the e-diesel across its emergency power systems at the data centers.

“mtu backup generators from Rolls-Royce are already approved for operation with sustainable fuels,” said Tobias Ostermaier, president of stationary power solutions at Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

“Customers in the critical infrastructure sector, such as data centers, who are aiming to reduce their carbon footprint, will soon also able to use e-fuels. We are committed to the use of e-fuels in data centers together with Ineratec.”

Ineratec produces the e-diesel through Power-to-X technology that combines renewable hydrogen and captured CO2 to create liquid fuels with far lower lifecycle emissions than fossil diesel.

The fuel is produced at Ineratec’s Era One production facility in Frankfurt. According to the companies, the proximity of the production facility to the Frankfurt market – one of the largest in Europe – will allow for short delivery routes and a rapid rollout. The companies ultimately aim to deploy the fuel internationally.

“The secure energy supply for AI-powered data centers is one of the defining challenges of our time. Our e-fuels offer a climate-neutral solution that is scalable, dependable, and ready for immediate deployment,” said Maximilian Backhaus, chief commercial officer at Ineratec.

“Together with Rolls-Royce, we’re bringing this solution to the places where it’s needed most – starting now.”

The specter of backup diesel generation looms large over the data center sector, with its lofty aims of decarbonization impacted by the continued reliance on the fuel. As a result, developers are increasingly seeking lower-carbon options to displace the use of diesel.

The most popular of which has been the use of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), also referred to as renewable diesel, which is produced from used cooking oil and animal fats from the food industry. Like other e-fuels, it can serve as a direct substitute for conventional diesel, allowing for easy use across most data centers.

Use of HVO has been predominantly in the European market, with AWS in Sweden, Vantage in Wales, and Stack Infrastructure in Norway all adopting the fuel for use in their backup generation units.