New hydrogen power unit trialled at Dublin data centre

Data centre company Equinix has trialled a new hydrogen power unit at one of its data centres in Blanchardstown, Dublin.

As part of a 12-week pilot, two hydrogen-powered generators, developed by clean energy company GeoPura, have been installed at Equinix's site.

Each generator is housed in shipping container-sized units and is currently being used to support cooling systems within the data centre.

GeoPura is supplying Equinix with hydrogen from renewable sources for the project.

The two units, running in parallel, are designed to provide a zero direct onsite emissions alternative to traditional diesel or gas generators.

"This is a landmark research project that could be part of the solution to Ireland’s grid constraints and the challenge of accessing clean energy," said Managing Director of Equinix Ireland, Peter Lantry.

"Ireland is already making serious moves on hydrogen and how it can be stored at scale here," Mr Lantry said.

The trial installation is being conducted in collaboration with ESB.

"As data demand continues to grow, solutions like hydrogen power units offer a reliable, clean alternative to traditional backup generation," said Head of Asset Development, ESB Generation Trading, Paul Lennon.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications Timmy Dooley, said hydrogen has the potential to play an important role in Ireland’s transition to a more sustainable energy system.

"Projects such as this provide valuable opportunities to test emerging technologies in real-world environments and deepen our understanding of how they can support future energy needs," Mr Dooley said.

Data centres accounted for 22% of electricity usage in Ireland in 2024, up from just 5% in 2015.

It is estimated that the consumption level will grow to almost a third of the national electricity demand by 2030.

In January, the Government published a Large Energy Action Plan aimed at enabling the further development of energy-intensive facilities, including data centres.

It followed the lifting of an effective moratorium on new data centre connections.

In December, the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities announced that data centres could be built where they meet at least 80% of their annual energy demand through new renewable electricity sources.