Fuel cells are an alternative energy source for the automotive industry that convert the chemical energy of a fuel (usually hydrogen) and an oxidant (oxygen) into electrical energy. Japan has a large fleet of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), which Mitsubishi plans to utilize in its latest trial of environmentally sustainable energy infrastructure.
Mitsubishi recently announced a joint demonstration project for a new generation data center that will use stationary fuel cell (FC) power stations as the main energy source. The company will work with Honda Corporation and Tokuyama Chemical Co. to explore the feasibility of FC energy to cope with further growth in power demand for data centers when processing large amounts of data.
Mitsubishi said the project will be carried out in Thuan Yen city, where Duc Son has operated an electrolysis plant since 1952. Tokuyama will provide hydrogen as a by-product from its brine electrolysis business, while Honda will develop the power station by reusing fuel cells removed from its electric vehicles.
This innovative data center was proposed by Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), which promotes the research, development and adoption of hydrogen-based innovative energy sources. The joint project will launch on March 31 and run for two years until March 31, 2026.
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are a potential alternative to battery-powered vehicles, but they do not have the same energy efficiency. Honda has already tested decommissioned hydrogen fuel cells in California as backup energy for data centers, while a new project in Japan aims to build a stationary power plant that can serve as both backup and primary energy.
Mitsubishi did not provide any details about the data center infrastructure the company will manage in Zhounan, so it is unclear how much energy the hydrogen fuel cell power plant will provide. Hydrogen is considered a clean fuel because it only produces water as a by-product in the electrochemical reaction of the fuel cell.
Commercially produced hydrogen is extracted from methane gas using an energy-intensive process based on fossil fuels, which is likely the same technology Tokuyama uses in its brine electrolysis plant. Mitsubishi's project could at least demonstrate the feasibility of effectively integrating hydrogen and depleted fuel cells into the energy business.