Hydrogen engine generator tested for data centre back-up power

Austrian energy solutions firm Innio Group Denmark-based Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers have tested a 3MW hydrogen-fuelled generator as an emergency power system for data centres.

Innio’s fuel-flexible Jenbacher engine – a modular generator ordinarily run on natural gas – was deployed under hydrogen power in simulated real-world conditions at the company’s research facility.

Technical experts present for the demonstration assessed the generator’s performance, confirming its capacity to operate as critical power, the company said.

It claims it is the first 100% hydrogen-powered generator demonstration of its kind.

Dr Olaf Berlien, CEO of Innio, said this showed the technology’s reliability when fuelled by hydrogen for data centres, which he called a “backbone of the digital economy” with rapidly accelerating demands.

This comes as various players seek alternative power solutions as secure backup power for energy consumptive applications.

The demonstration is not the first time hydrogen has been trialled for such applications. In 2024, Caterpillar and Ballard Power Systems tested a 1.5MW hydrogen fuel cell system providing back-up power to a Microsoft data centre in Wyoming, US, in a simulated 48-hour power back-up event.

Engines could represent a cheaper alternative to fuel cell power, building on proven, mass-produced technology. However, they are usually less efficient, can produce nitrogen oxide emissions, and the mechanical wear associated with combustion engines make long-term maintenance a requisite.

While hydrogen-fuelled generators present a potential low-carbon pathway to backup power, the lack of mature, reliable infrastructure and the molecule’s high costs compared to conventional fuels stand in the way of its widespread deployment in mission-critical environments.