Bridge Data Centres (BDC) and local renewable firm Concord New Energy (CNE) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at research, engineering, and deployment of clean energy solutions for AI data centres, including the floating power generator.

Few technical details have been shared. However, the pair claim the floating hydrogen-powered generator would be designed to “deliver flexible and modular clean power capacity.”

They say they will explore “advanced power system architectures and generation configurations designed to enhance the resilience and reliability of AI-ready data centre campuses.”

BDC says that barge-based power generation solutions can offer structural advantages suited to Singapore’s operating environment, optimising for scarce land, and enabling flexible hydrogen transport.

Specific details of the barge-based facility and its development timeline remain undisclosed.

Floating power generation already exists today in the form of wind turbines, solar panels, and even gas power plants. Proponents argue it can avoid land constraints and speed up deployments.

There are talks of producing green hydrogen offshore, linked to offshore wind, but this has so far remained limited to concepts and small-scale pilot projects.

Eric Fan, CEO of BDC, said that the growing demand for AI data centres demands novel energy solutions.

Singapore is a big player in the field of data centres. In 2020, conventional data centres accounted for approximately 7% of the country’s total electricity consumption. This is expected to skyrocket with AI data centres typically consuming two to four times more power than traditional facilities.

“This collaboration with CNE reflects our commitment to diversifying long-term power pathways,” Fan added.

This comes despite data centre providers who previously backed using hydrogen to satisfy energy demands increasingly pivoting away from the fuel as clean hydrogen projects face higher-than-predicted production costs.

In February, US-based data centre solutions company ECL revealed a new fuel-flexible power system, marking a shift away from slating hydrogen as the fuel of the future.