Hydrogen powered data centers: Research begins in County Offaly

Ireland's County Offaly is investigating hydrogen as a green energy that could power data centers. The study, 'Exploring Data Centre Integration with Renewable Energy and Green Hydrogen in the Midlands', will look into the feasibility of integrating data centres with renewable energy and will run alongside the Rhode Energy Green Park initiative. This separate study looks more generally into the potential uses of green hydrogen energy.

The new study itself will focus on three aspects, technical, market, and conceptual. On the technical side of things, the research will look at energy systems integration challenges for data centers and assess how a "very low carbon operational configuration" can be achieved given the "prevailing conditions and renewable energy availability."

Meanwhile, the market research will work in "co-operation" with existing data center operators and those with plans for expansion in Ireland, and the concept aspect will focus on "best model or models that can be applied to develop a successful concept."

According to reports, the research is expected to be completed within the next year.