D A T A C E N T R E P R E D I C T I O N S
should be the pressing challenge we are looking to solve.
Everyone in the industry, and now even those outside of it, know that data centres are energy-intensive buildings. The EIA( Environmental Investigation Agency) discovered that data centres account for approximately 1.0 – 1.5 % of the global energy consumption, and with more being built, it will naturally grow. Hydrogen as an energy source can provide a role in backup power systems, replacing highcarbon diesel generators. But hydrogenonly data centres are not there yet.
The reason for this is that hydrogen comes with unique challenges that require large-scale changes for it to be introduced at scale. When designing a data centre for hydrogen, operators need to understand what they are getting into before adopting it.
Some of the challenges
Manufacturing inefficiencies: Hydrogen production is a complex process, particularly when net zero is the goal. While some see white hydrogen as an option, it is currently not here yet. White hydrogen refers to naturally occurring hydrogen gas found in the Earth’ s crust and is formed through geological processes.
Green hydrogen is generated through electrolysis. This involves using electricity that comes from renewable sources to split the water into its hydrogen and oxygen elements. The difficulty is, this is a highly energy-intensive process, and the electrolysis alone can cause an energy loss of around 20 – 30 %.
From there, additional losses occur when hydrogen is compressed and stored equating to around a 10 % loss. Lastly, converting the stored hydrogen back into usable energy results in a further 30 % loss. These losses make hydrogen less viable as a primary energy source especially for data centres as direct electrification is greatly more efficient.
Distribution: Unlike electricity, which can be transported through established grids, hydrogen requires a separate supply chain. This supply chain currently doesn’ t exist at the scale needed. It is uncertain whether gas pipelines could be used
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