Equinix pilots hydrogen generators in Dublin data center

Equinix is testing hydrogen-powered backup generators at its Dublin data centre, marking a first for the global provider. The 12-week pilot involves two units from UK firm GeoPura, installed at the DB3 facility in Blanchardstown. These generators currently support cooling systems within the site. The project runs with ESB, which owns one unit, and follows a similar 2024 partnership between ESB and Microsoft. Ireland’s data centres consumed 22% of the country’s total metred electricity in 2024, a figure expected to rise as companies expand operations there.

Equinix Ireland’s managing director, Peter Lantry, said the pilot could boost Ireland’s decarbonisation efforts. The initiative aims to gather data on carbon reduction potential, which officials say could aid policymakers and universities assessing renewable energy needs. Ireland currently hosts 72 data centres, which KPMG estimates underpin over 850,000 jobs and add €100bn annually to the economy. However, the government notes only 21,000 jobs are directly tied to data centres.

The government recently launched a plan to attract energy-intensive sectors by allowing companies to co-locate with renewable energy sources, though developments outside these zones remain possible.

The hydrogen generators, housed in shipping containers, use green hydrogen and fuel cell technology to produce “clean, silent” energy. They emit no direct on-site pollutants, only water and heat. Equinix said the DB3 centre’s power use effectiveness (PUE) has dropped below 1.3, a metric measuring efficiency. A PUE of 1 would mean all energy goes to computing, with none lost to cooling or lighting.

ESB’s Paul Lennon called hydrogen a “reliable, clean alternative” to traditional backup systems. GeoPura’s CEO, Andrew Cunningham, added that the trial demonstrates hydrogen’s potential to address power reliability, emissions reduction, and community impact. The generators could also serve construction sites and other temporary power needs, with scalability up to 50MW for backup or prime power applications.

The pilot builds on a 2024 ESB-Microsoft project, highlighting growing interest in hydrogen as a grid solution. Equinix’s global footprint spans 280+ data centres, but this marks its first deployment of hydrogen generators. The company aims to expand such efforts as data demand grows.