Rolls-Royce plans to use automotive fuel cells developed by Mercedes-Benz for stationary power generation. Rolls-Royce Power Systems is collaborating with Lab1886 on a pilot project to do just that.
Dr Martin Teigeler, Development Manager at Rolls-Royce Power Systems, and Susanne Hahn, Director of Lab1886 Global. © Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce
Until now, Rolls-Royce diesel engines have supplied energy to data centres. But this new emergency power supply, branded under the name MTU, could soon be powered by fuel cell systems. They may ultimately even be used for continuous operation. To make this plan a reality, Rolls-Royce Power Systems has teamed up with Mercedes-Benz innovation laboratory Lab1886 to collaborate on a pilot project.
An emergency power supply based on the automotive fuel cell modules developed by Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell GmbH is set to be built for the Rolls-Royce data centre in Friedrichshafen. "The idea behind the fuel cell is as ingenious as it is simple and we're all pretty familiar with it. But implementing it in practice can still be a difficult challenge. Now that fuel cells have reached series maturity, they're ready for the commercial market", says Dr Martin Teigeler, Development Manager at Power Systems.