Doosan Fuel Cell said on the 10th that it signed a business agreement for "data center power supply solutions" with the Korea Hydrogen Fuel Cell Industry Association (KHFCIA), the Korea Data Center Council (KDCC), SK ecoplant, and Hyosung Heavy Industries at Doosan Tower in Dongdaemun, Seoul, on the 10th.
In the collaboration with Doosan Fuel Cell, SK ecoplant will handle the supply and operation of hydrogen fuel cells and gas engines, and support the introduction of facilities that reduce data center cooling loads by utilizing waste heat from hydrogen fuel cells. Hyosung Heavy Industries will be responsible for gas engine supply and operation and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), KHFCIA will push for policy support and system improvements for the introduction of power supply solutions, and KDCC will provide policy support to improve power supply conditions for the data center industry.
The data center power supply solution is a low-carbon power supply model that uses hydrogen fuel cells as baseload power and gas engines as load-following power sources (power sources that adjust output according to changes in power demand). It can be easily built even in areas where it is difficult to expand transmission and distribution networks, and it enables stable power supply through grid-forming inverters (devices that safely maintain the grid by setting frequency and voltage on their own even without a grid).
This solution can be used for data center cooling when the heat from hydrogen fuel cells is linked with absorption chillers and heat pumps. Doosan Fuel Cell explained that it can drastically reduce power grid construction expenses and timelines, and that it also expects to realize a self-reliant power structure for data centers and achieve site diversification.
Executive Director Lee Seung-jun of Doosan Fuel Cell said, "As demand for AI and data centers surges, power supply options are emerging as a highly important issue," adding, "We will actively collaborate with corporations to commercialize data center power supply solutions using hydrogen fuel cells at an early stage."