Hydrogen power generation solution launched for data centres

Energy and materials company Modern Hydrogen and power solutions firm Mesa Solutions have announced a strategic partnership to deliver a hydrogen power solution for data centres.

The agreement aims to leverage Mesa Solution's new genset which runs on 100% hydrogen. This will be coupled with Modern Hydrogen's on-site solution that converts natural gas into hydrogen and carbon solids.

The solution, states the partners in a release, will ensure data centres have access to reliable hydrogen power on-site without requiring the buildout of additional hydrogen-related infrastructure.

Modern Hydrogen CEO Tony Pan commented in a statement: "Dispatchable, reliable power is the backbone of data centre operations, and our partnership with Mesa Solutions ensures that data centres can generate clean energy onsite without waiting for the electricity grid. This partnership represents the next step in adopting hydrogen for onsite energy by leveraging existing natural gas infrastructure already in the ground."

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According to the partners, the solution will be modular, scalable to the facility's requirements and can leverage existing natural gas infrastructure, which will reduce costs and maximise ROI.

Another positive emphasised in the release is the on-site nature of the solution, which means grid congestion and transmission delays will be avoided.

Mesa Solutions CEO Scott Gromer added: "Mesa has spent years optimising on-site power generation solutions for high-demand applications. By integrating Modern Hydrogen’s innovative hydrogen production, we’re creating a new model for data centres that doesn’t compromise on reliability or cost.”

The partners signed the partnership agreement at POWERGEN International in Houston, Texas, US. One of the key topics addressed at the event was the significant rise in the development of data centres and how exponential rise in power demand will be met.

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All power sources on the table

One of the questions to be addressed is whether the power demand will be met with clean energy or with traditional energy sources such as coal or gas, and based on recent announcements, it appears as if all sources will be considered to meet the explosive power demand.

Earlier this year Hallador Energy Company – owner and operator of a 1GW coal-fired plant in Indiana, took a step closer to a final agreement that would provide power for a leading data centre’s operations.

In December last year, Meta announced it is releasing a request for proposals (RFP) to nuclear developers, targeting 1 to 4GW of new nuclear generation to power its data centres and AI, starting in the early 2030s.

And in October 2024, US utility Evergy announced plans to build two new 705MW natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) plants in Kansas. Utility officials said the new units would support reliability as the region faces significant electricity demand growth, driven in part by new data centres.