equinix has allied with national university of singapore for investigate the potential of hydrogen to become an alternative energy sourceand sustainable, for data center infrastructure. According to the company, it has launched the agreement to examine local power generation technologies for data centers of the future, collaborating with the Center for Energy Research and Technology of the College of design and engineering of the aforementioned university.
The research will compare the efficiency of proton exchange membrane fuel cells with linear and fuel-flexible generation technologies in powering data centers. In this project, CERT will perform an analysis of the technologies to determine their feasibility to operate on a large scale.
With this research, Equinix hopes to develop proof-of-concept projects for real-world testing in its global network of data centers. It will do so with a view to incorporating the most feasible technology into its future data center designs.
Fuel cells work in a similar way to batteries, producing electricity using hydrogen as the electrolyte, while flex-fuel generators use a low-temperature reaction of air and fuel, rather than combustion, to generate power. In addition, these generators can work with various types of fuel, including biogas and renewable liquid fuels, apart from hydrogen.
Equinix has indicated that the project will be responsible for assessing the suitability of these technologies, initially, for data centers in tropical regions, taking into account local climatic conditions, site restrictions, energy demand, supply chain of supply, the fuel storage capacities and the regulatory policies of each country.
More environmentally friendly data center operations can fuel a boom in sustainable businesses on a broader economic level, according to the Equinix General Manager for South Asia, Yee May Leongwho pointed out that «Working with like-minded partners such as the NUS Center for Energy Research and Technology gives us the combination of experience and expertise to advance the growth of digital economies, in line with environmental obligations, and benefiting the sector. from data centers, to global economies, and to the planet«.
