Clean Back-Up Power
The Clean back.up power work stream explores promising pathways for backup and prime power needs for next-generation, high-demand data centers.
About the Clean Back-Up Work Stream
Back-up power is a necessary requirement in data center design to guarantee uptime and resilience. The powerful and redundant energy assets can instantly and seamlessly take over the entire data center load, and they arer typically used only in the rare event of a grid failure.
The work stream aims to validate clean back-up solutions as alternatives to diesel back-up.
Hydrogen, Renewable Natural Gas and Methanol are among the clean fuels being considered, alongside Internal Combustion Engines, Turbines, Linear Generators and Fuel Cells as potential conversion devices.
Innovation at the Hub
In the hub, industry leaders set joint requirements, identiy innovatiove solutions and executive validation projects at scale.
The Net Zero Innovation Hub approach sets itself apart developing and executing collaborative projects which remove technology, commercial, financial, and regulative risks.
Current Projects in the Clean Back-up Work Stream
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100% Hydrogen fueled generators
Why Clean Back-up Power?
With AI-driven load growth accelerating, data center operators are prioritizing supply certainty, rapid deployment, and decarbonization. Industry analysts anticipate that behind-the-meter and hybrid energy systems in new-build data centers will increase from 10–20% in 2025 to 50–60% by 2030, underscoring the need for scalable, low-carbon alternatives to diesel-based backup systems.
Considering that in Europe alone, 25 GW of new data centers could be built by 2030, back-up power systems represent a formidable, unutilized potential for the European electric system. They could provide flexibility, stabilize the grid and support the grid connection of intermittent renewable energy sources.
A common back-up power design consists of UPS, batteries and diesel back-up generators. Innovative, zero emissions back-up solutions would enable a more frequent utilization of these energy assets and their alignment to evolving regulation.
Key Questions to address in the Work Stream
- Identify and validate alternative back-up solutions
- Ensure scalability and reliability
- Support decarbonization and sustainability
- Target Net Zero Scope 1 emissions with at least 80% reduction compared to fossil-fuel alternatives
- Assess full environmental impact through lifecycle analysis (LCA) and material reporting
- Minimize water consumptions and other ecological footprints.
- Optimize economic and commercial viability
- Enhance grid and microgrid integration
Find out more about how you can join the journey towards net zero data centers.
Join the hub today!
Meet the Technical team
Technical Team Members are engineering and technical specialists working across companies and disciplines. They form collaborative technical teams that translate strategic priorities into practical innovation projects.
Technical Team Members help define project scope, identify technical requirements, establish test methodologies, evaluate solutions, and support the development and validation of new technologies.
By bringing together experts from across the digital infrastructure ecosystem, the Hub creates a collaborative technical environment where challenges are addressed collectively rather than by individual organizations.
This cross-industry collaboration is a core part of the Hub's innovation model and helps accelerate the path from concept to deployment.
Project Partners
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The AI-era requires a new approach to enabling innovation at scale.
The Net Zero Innovation Hub de-risks innovation by removing risks related to technology, off-take, business models, regulation, and funding.
News from the Clean Back-up power work stream
