Nxtra by Airtel to become the first data centre company in India to install fuel cell technology to provide clean energy

Nxtra will be the first data centre company in India to deploy fuel cell technology to reduce carbon emissions at its data centres while unlocking cost and sustainability benefits.

Nxtra plans to start the unit on non-combusted natural gas and then switch to 50% hydrogen in future without any significant investment. The natural gas-powered cells will be used for primary generation with utility electrical grid and generators as backup sources.

Speaking about the partnership, Mr. Rajesh Tapadia, COO, Nxtra by Airtel said, “Nxtra is committed to set new benchmarks in sustainability for the data centre industry and play a leading role as India emerges as leading data centre destination in APAC. With an ambition to reach net zero by 2031, we have embarked on our sustainability journey by making all possible efforts to adopt innovative energy solutions. Our partnership with Bloom Energy is a testament to our future-ready energy strategy to supply much cleaner energy to our data centres.”

Tim Schweikert, senior managing director, international business development, Bloom Energy said: “Bloom Energy’s technology is distinctly capable of helping India meet its decarbonization objectives as it transitions to a hydrogen economy. We are proud to collaborate with Nxtra to support them in their pursuit of using clean, reliable and affordable power for their data centres.”

Nxtra by Airtel has the largest network of data centres in India with 12 large and 120 edge data centres across the country and will invest over Rs 5000 cr over the next four years to expand its capacity by 3X to over 400 MW. The company has already invested and partnered with 8 organisations to develop renewable energy power plants across India to source more than 180 000 MWh of renewable energy and is committed to achieving 50% of its power requirements through renewable energy sources in the next 12 months.

For more news and technical articles from the global hydrogen sector, read the latest issue of Global Hydrogen Review magazine.

Global Hydrogen Review's Spring 2022 issue

The inaugural issue of Global Hydrogen Review is full of detailed technical articles and case studies exploring the entire spectrum of hydrogen production and its applications worldwide. This issue covers a range of topics including the current status of blue hydrogen, how cryogenic technology is helping to shape the energy transition, and integrity management of hydrogen pipelines. Other features include green hydrogen, simulation, transportation, compressor technology, and much more.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/13092022/nxtra-by-airtel-to-become-the-first-data-centre-company-in-india-to-install-fuel-cell-technology-to-provide-clean-energy/