The EU Clean Hydrogen Partnership will provide EUR 2.5 million (USD 2.8 million) to a project managed by Equinix Inc, which aims to build low-carbon fuel cells to power data centers.
EcoEdge PrimePower is the name of the project in question (E2P2). Equinix, sector players Vertiv and InfraPrime, Swedish research institute RISE, Italian energy infrastructure operator Snam SpA, fuel cell systems manufacturer SOLIDpower, and alternative fuels competence centre TEC4FUELS GmbH are among the companies working on it.
The consortium members will look at combining solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFC) with uninterruptible power supply (UPS) technology and lithium-ion batteries to offer data centers and other vital infrastructure with reliable and clean primary power.
Implementing natural gas SOFC as a prime power application, according to Equinix, is critical to easing the use of green hydrogen for fuel cell applications, both in backup and prime power systems. The experimental E2P2 fuel cell platform will be deployed and tested in a dedicated location within one of the company’s data centers in Milan, Italy.
“The E2P2 project allows us to demonstrate a novel architecture for power generation, distribution, and storage, as well as support a broader transition from natural gas to sustainable hydrogen and our goal of operating a climate-neutral business by 2030,” said Justin Dustzadeh, Equinix’s chief technology officer.
The Clean Hydrogen Partnership is the successor of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU), and it has the support of the European Commission, the fuel cell and hydrogen sectors, and academia. Its objective is to accelerate the development and advancement of innovative clean hydrogen technologies.
