GDS and SK ecoplant announced a collaboration to trial fuel cell power supply solutions for GDS's upcoming data center in Singapore. The trial aims to explore sustainable green energy options for the Singapore data center facility. By embracing this initiative, both companies demonstrate their unwavering commitment to promoting sustainable development and the use of renewable resources in the region.

Under an earlier collaboration agreement, GDS and SK ecoplant committed to jointly promoting the application of fuel cell eco-friendly power supply solutions for data centers in Southeast Asia. Compared to conventional power sources, fuel cells convert the chemical energy of hydrogen or other renewable power sources into electricity, resulting in an exceptionally clean energy production process with significantly lower or even zero emissions. GDS's recent achievement in securing new data center capacity paved the way for the collaboration with its industry leading partners to pioneer two hydrogen pilot use cases in Singapore.

The first use case, in partnership with SK ecoplant, explores the application of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology to generate power from green hydrogen as a main power source. The second involves the supply of locally generated power from imported hydrogen sourced from energy partners. GDS believes these use cases will serve as critical proof of concepts within the region, effectively shaping the evolution and advancement of hydrogen as a reliable power source.

Under the trial, GDS will employ cutting-edge technology and leverage its extensive industry know-how to develop a best-in-class data center in Singapore. SK ecoplant will collaborate with its strategic partner, Bloom Energy, to generate low-carbon electricity through the deployment of SOFC technology. The trial will begin with a small-scale installation of fuel cells, initially using natural gas as a feedstock in place of hydrogen.

Once the regional hydrogen infrastructure, supply chain, and regulatory frameworks are sufficiently established, GDS and SK ecoplant will consider more widespread use of SOFC enabled power generation in the future.