Green Hydrogen Pilot Projects
Microsoft Launched a Clean Energy Pilot with ESB Ireland
Colin Smith — June 4, 2025
Microsoft has initiated a pilot project in collaboration with ESB to explore the integration of green hydrogen technology in powering its data centre operations. The pilot, conducted at the data centre’s power control and administration building in Dublin, involves the use of ESB’s zero-emission hydrogen fuel cells. These fuel cells convert stored green hydrogen into electricity, producing only water as a byproduct. The project will supply up to 250 kW of clean energy during an eight-week period and represents the first instance of such technology being deployed at a Microsoft data centre in Europe.
The deployment of hydrogen fuel cell technology in this context aims to reduce carbon emissions and eliminate harmful pollutants typically associated with conventional diesel generators. This initiative is part of Microsoft’s broader strategy to transition its data centres, buildings, and campuses toward carbon-free electricity supply and demonstrates the company’s commitment to advancing sustainable energy solutions. The pilot serves as a testbed for further exploration of green hydrogen’s potential to decarbonize the data centre sector and support a net-zero operational framework.
