Caterpillar Collaborates with Microsoft and Ballard Power Systems to Demonstrate Viability of Hydrogen Fuel Cells for Data Center Backup Power
Caterpillar has recently announced a successful collaboration with Microsoft and Ballard Power Systems to showcase the potential of large-format hydrogen fuel cells in providing reliable and sustainable backup power for data centers. This demonstration has shed light on the capabilities of fuel cell systems to power multi-megawatt data centers, ensuring uninterrupted power supply to meet the stringent uptime requirements of 99.999%.
Challenging Environment Test
The demonstration was conducted in a challenging environment to test the performance of the hydrogen fuel cell power system. The test took place at an elevation of 6,086 ft (1,855 m) above sea level and in below-freezing conditions. The project simulated a 48-hour backup power event at Microsoft’s data center in Cheyenne, Wyoming. A hydrogen fuel cell was integrated into the data center’s electrical plant to support its critical load. The operation was managed by a Caterpillar Microgrid Controller, which oversaw two Cat® Power Grid Stabilization (PGS) 1260 battery energy storage systems along with the 1.5 MW hydrogen fuel cell.
Key Stakeholder Comments
Caterpillar spearheaded the project, providing system integration, power electronics, and microgrid controls for the hydrogen power solution. Jaime Mineart, Senior Vice President of Caterpillar Electric Power, expressed optimism about the collaboration, stating, “This successful collaboration with Microsoft and Ballard demonstrates the potential of hydrogen fuel cells to help data centers meet their critical power needs while reducing emissions.”
Sean James, Senior Director of Data Center Research at Microsoft, highlighted the importance of the project in driving sustainability innovations within the data center industry. He stated, “The research and findings from the hydrogen fuel cell demonstration will contribute to our goal of becoming carbon negative by 2030.”
Support from the U.S. Department of Energy
The project received support and partial funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (DOE) as part of the H2@Scale initiative. This initiative aims to advance affordable hydrogen production, transport, storage, and utilization in various energy sectors. The DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conducted analyses on safety, techno-economics, and greenhouse gas impacts during the demonstration.
Ballard Power Systems’ Perspective
David Mucciacciaro, Chief Commercial Officer of Ballard Power Systems, expressed confidence in the reliability and durability of Ballard’s fuel cells for providing zero-emission backup power for data centers. He emphasized the potential of their products to meet the critical power needs of data center customers in this rapidly growing sector.
Leadership in Hydrogen-Fueled Power Solutions
Caterpillar, in collaboration with its global Cat dealer network, plays a crucial role in helping customers maintain uptime commitments at numerous data center facilities worldwide. They offer responsive power solutions and expertise, including specification, installation, commissioning, and service.
Caterpillar’s hydrogen-fuel power technologies encompass a range of commercially available solutions capable of operating with natural gas blended with up to 25% hydrogen by volume. The company is also engaged in a project with District Energy St. Paul to demonstrate a hydrogen-fueled combined heat and power (CHP) system.
In addition to hydrogen-powered solutions, Caterpillar provides a diverse portfolio of products to assist customers in achieving their climate-related goals. These offerings include Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) software for monitoring and managing on-site energy assets, hybrid energy solutions, CHP and CCHP systems, and products that can operate on alternative fuels like hydrotreated vegetable oil, biodiesel, and blended fuel products.
