Microsoft has signed a deal with ESB that will see hydrogen fuel cells power its data centre power control and administration building in Dublin.
The pilot project, which will supply up to 250kW of energy to the campus over eight weeks, is part of ESB’s showcase of the capabilities of the technology.
It is the first time that hydrogen fuel cells have been used in a Microsoft data centre in Europe.
ESB describes the fuel as “zero emission”, as the cells do not produce carbon emissions or other pollutants such as sulphur dioxide or nitrogen oxides. Intended to replace diesel generators at the data centres, the cells convert stored green hydrogen to electricity, producing pure water as a by product.
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“The green hydrogen project we’re launching with ESB is a pioneering first for Microsoft in Europe, demonstrating how zero-emissions hydrogen can be harnessed to power our digital lives,” said Eoin Doherty, vice president, EMEA Regional Leader, Microsoft Cloud Operations + Innovation. “If scaled successfully, it could provide new ways of advancing sustainability in our sector and beyond.”
Data centres have generated controversy in recent years, particularly given the pressure they can put on the national grid, leading to calls from environmental groups for new developments to be refused. That has led to new conditions being imposed for the centres, including a focus on renewable energy, with the Government publishing a policy statement on principles for sustainable data centre development in 2022.
Among Microsoft’s renewable energy push are contracts linked to the development of more than 900 megawatts of onshore wind and solar energy projects in Ireland, contributing to Government targets. It has also been testing hydrogen power, including packing the fuel cells into 40-foot-long shipping containers in New York.
“This pilot project is another important step in our journey to transition to carbon-free electricity supply for our data centres, buildings, and campuses around the world,” said Lavinia Morris, general manager of Microsoft’s EMEA data centre operations. “As we look to advance a more sustainable future, we hope to build on the success of this pilot project and continue to find innovative ways to decarbonise our operations.”
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