Equinix is working with the NUS School of Design and Engineering’s Energy Research and Technology Center (CERT) to develop a method of harnessing hydrogen as a sustainable fuel.
Equinix and the California Energy Commission Research Team (CERT) have begun a groundbreaking study comparing Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) with mixed fuel linear generator technologies. Hydrogen energy’s PEMFC is gaining traction as a promising next-generation fuel, and blended fuel linear generators make it simple for businesses to switch between several types of green fuels like hydrogen, biogas, and renewable liquid fuels. These advancements help data centers handle the rising demand for data, colocation, and connectivity services while also lowering their carbon footprint.
Equinix and CERT are conducting research together, and part of their project is an in-depth analysis of the technical viability of data centers in tropical regions, taking into account factors such as average temperatures, availability of cooling systems, humidity levels, electricity demand, supply chain, fuel storage capacity, and local regulatory policies.
The two companies agreed to collaborate on this study when they signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this year. As part of the agreement, CERT and Equinix will collaborate to assess the potential for scaling up research technologies. In order to incorporate the findings of this research into future data center designs, Equinix wants to create a proof-of-concept project for in-depth testing inside its global data center network. The collaboration between Equinix and CERT is meant to spur creativity in Singapore and ultimately speed up the creation of disruptive solutions that can lessen the global data center industry’s impact on the environment, particularly in tropical zones.
Equinix is dedicated to reducing its environmental impact and improving the sustainability of the digital economy, and this alliance is a key component of its “future-first” approach. Data centers could benefit from green hydrogen as a long-term energy option. Hydrogen generation on an industrial scale still has a ways to go before it can be made commercially viable, thus while research is still being done all over the world, in the meantime, other options must be considered and implemented.
