Colo giant Equinix has commenced its first trial of using hydrogen fuel cell technology as an alternative to diesel backup generation at a data center in Ireland.

In partnership with energy firms ESB and GeoPura, the company has deployed two hydrogen-powered generators supplied by GeoPura at its DB3 data center in Blanchardstown, Dublin. The units are housed in shipping-container-sized units and are being used to support the data center’s cooling operations. The trial is expected to last 12 weeks, and according to Equinix, it has already helped the company reduce its power-use efficiency to below 1.3.

The two units are being run in parallel to test their effectiveness as an alternative to traditional diesel or gas generators. The generators are being powered via green hydrogen – hydrogen produced through renewable means – and utilize Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology.

Known as Hydrogen Power Units, the generators produce a continuous power output of between 250kW and 500kW. The units also have integrated battery storage with a capacity of 216kWh, which provides an uninterruptible power supply, handles peak power demands, and allows for silent overnight operation. The company claims that the generators can be scaled up to 50MW to support both backup and prime power solutions.

“As demand for digital infrastructure continues to grow, operators are facing increasing pressure to secure reliable power, reduce emissions, and minimize the impact on local communities. This trial shows how hydrogen can help address those challenges today. By combining hydrogen fuel cell technology with battery systems and uninterruptible power capabilities, we’re delivering reliable zero direct onsite-emission power that can respond instantly when required,” said Andrew Cunningham, CEO, GeoPura.

Equinix has said that it will use the trial to gain data insights into carbon reduction potential, along with operational, safety, commercial, and grid peak-shaving potential, which could be used by policymakers and universities to assess the best deployment solutions for Ireland.

Peter Lantry, managing director of Equinix Ireland, said: “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 decarbonization story.”

Equinix is not the first data center company to trial the use of hydrogen as an alternative to diesel for its backup systems. In 2024, Microsoft, in partnership with Caterpillar, completed a demonstration project where they successfully used hydrogen fuel cells to supply reliable and sustainable backup power to a data center in Wyoming for 48 hours.