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During a recent trade mission from Ireland to South Korea, a contract was signed between Irish development company LLUMCLOON Energy and a construction subsidiary of SK Group.

According to the Irish Times, the two companies are planning a “fuel cell-powered data center” in Ireland that will not be connected to the electricity grid and will use gas fuel cells.

What is a fuel cell?

A fuel cell is a device that uses energy to generate electricity.

A chemical reaction between a vehicle’s fuel (usually hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent such as oxygen. In particular, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) operate at high temperatures and are highly efficient, but typically use hydrocarbon fuels such as natural gas.

This chemical energy is converted into electrical energy, which is expected to transition to hydrogen in the future as more environmentally friendly fuel sources advance.

SK plant advancing fuel cell development

SK Ecoplant, formerly known as SK E&C, is a construction subsidiary of the South Korean conglomerate SK Group, which owns companies such as SK Telecom and SK Hynix. In collaboration with Bloom Energy, based in San Jose, the company is currently advancing the development of fuel cell and hydrogen power generation facilities.

Ther are not only providing crucial technology but also taking on a comprehensive role in the construction of data centers.

The Potential of Fuel Cells in Data Centers

The demand for data centers is increasing. The energy consumption, strain on power grids, and carbon dioxide emissions from data centers have been the subject of much political debate in recent years.

While details regarding the development schedule and operational capacity are yet to be disclosed, this initiative represents a significant step forward for future green energy solutions in Ireland.

Major global tech giants such as Microsoft and Amazon are also exploring fuel cell applications to power their data centers, signaling an industry-wide shift towards more sustainable backup and primary power sources.

The success of the plan could potentially set a benchmark for the future development of fuel cells in data centers across Europe, Japan, and other regions.