For this, a 500kW hydrogen fuel cell module will be integrated into the data centre in June 2022 offering an opportunity to generate zero-carbon energy that can power many different operations including data centres.

Read more: Plans unveiled for hydrogen-powered data centre
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New record set for hydrogen-powered data centre

This is a development that will have caught the attention of many industry leaders in data centres across the globe with many already exploring the chance to integrate fuel cells for renewable power.

Just last year Microsoft revealed to H2 View its trials with fuel cells in its data centres were progressing well.

Christian Belady, Engineer and Vice-President of Datacentre Advanced Development at Microsoft, told H2 View, “At the rack level, we had fuel cells in the rack and the power generator came with the rack, that was the notion, and everything worked fine. It was much more efficient. We’re always driving efficiency. We were looking at sustainability.”

Data centres tend to have power generated from diesel generators and thus, with NorthC opting for hydrogen fuel cells, it provides a basis to expand the technology in this sector and decarbonise a vital sector in European society.

Jarno Bloem, Chief Operating Officer at NorthC Datacenters, said, “The data centre industry has a responsibility to ensure that we operate as sustainably as possible. For example, all our regional data centres run entirely on green power.

“We are also actively engaged in additional sustainability initiatives, such as projects that use the residual heat from our data centres to heat homes and businesses in the area. An important next step is to switch from emergency power generators that run on diesel to sustainable alternatives.

“We believe that green hydrogen offers the best possibilities in this respect and have therefore entered into a partnership with Nedstack – one of the frontrunners in the field of large hydrogen cells.”

Microsoft: Becoming part of the larger push for a hydrogen economy

The beauty about hydrogen is it can be adapted to how we live our lives today, and not really change how we live our lives today, Microsoft’s Christian Belady shares with Molly Burgess as she sits down with him and colleague Mark Monroe to talk about the tech giant’s hydrogen ambitions.

Microsoft: a household name all over the world and a brand synonymous with computer software. Over the past four and a half decades, Microsoft has helped people and organisations use technology to transform how they work, live and play, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Usage of the technology giant’s collaboration tool Microsoft Teams has skyrocketed during the health crisis as companies looked for ways to stay connected with their staff. And just like many other companies around the world during this time, Teams now plays a huge part in H2 View’s everyday life too. So when we got the opportunity to talk to Microsoft recently about its hydrogen ambitions, it was fitting to have such a discussion on the digital tool.

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