The initial phase of the supply agreement will target German installations with short delivery routes from Ineratec’s e-fuel pilot plant in Frankfurt.
Data centres require consistent power, and traditionally rely on diesel-powered back-up systems in the event of grid outages, including Rolls-Royce’s mtu emergency generators.
With data centre consumption growing, due to increased AI use, the two companies say using e-fuels would offer a “reliable, cost-efficient, CO2-neutral” solution to increasing grid resilience concerns.
“The secure energy supply for AI-powered data centres is one of the defining challenges of our time,” said Maximilian Backhause, Chief Commercial Officer at Ineratec. “Our e-fuels offer a climate-neutral solution that is scalable, dependable, and ready for immediate deployment.”
Ineratec began producing e-fuels from its pilot Era One plant in Frankfurt this April. The process combines green hydrogen and captured CO2 to produce fuels chemically similar to conventional fossil fuels like diesel or jet fuels.
The plant has the capacity to produce 2,500 tonnes of e-fuel per year, but could soon have its yields boosted by 15% with a new catalyst from Sasol.
Supply volumes remain undisclosed, but Rolls-Royce Power Systems’ President of Stationary Power Solutions, Tobias Ostermaier, said the company was “committed” to using the fuels in data centres.
“Customers in the critical infrastructure sector, such as data centres, who are aiming to reduce their footprint, will soon be able to use e-fuels,” he stressed.
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