Caterpillar demonstrates viability of hydrogen fuel cells as backup power

Caterpillar (CAT) announced the success of its collaboration with Microsoft (MSFT) and Ballard Power (BLDP) to demonstrate the viability of using large-format hydrogen fuel cells to supply reliable and sustainable backup power for data centers. The demonstration provided insights into the capabilities of fuel cell systems to power multi-megawatt data centers, ensuring uninterrupted power supply to meet 99.999% uptime requirements. The demonstration was conducted in a challenging environment and validated the hydrogen fuel cell power system’s performance at 6,086 ft – 1,855 m – above sea level and in below-freezing conditions. The project simulated a 48-hour backup power event at Microsoft’s data center in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where a hydrogen fuel cell was integrated into a data center electrical plant to support its critical load. Caterpillar led the project, providing the overall system integration, power electronics, and microgrid controls that form the central structure of the hydrogen power solution. The project is supported and partially funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office under the H2@Scale initiative, which brings stakeholders together to advance affordable hydrogen production, transport, storage and utilization in multiple energy sectors.