Datacenters increasingly want dedicated power, and Singapore has a unique solution. Bridge Data Centres (BDC) and Concord New Energy (CNE) are working to put hydrogen power generators on barges, saying that this arrangement is particularly suited to the local environment.
The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly develop the concept and position it for AI-heavy datacenter builds, pitching it as part of a lower-carbon power strategy for Singapore’s datacenter sector.
A barge-based configuration offers advantages over land-based facilities, according to BDC, including optimization of scarce land resources through offshore or nearshore deployment, vital in a country that is smaller than many cities, including London.
Concord New Energy barge - Click to enlarge
This arrangement also offers segregation between hydrogen handling infrastructure and the core datacenter operations, the firm says, plus greater flexibility in hydrogen transport and storage, making use of Singapore's maritime ecosystem.
In other words, locating power generation on a barge close to shore rather than on the datacenter campus would separate hydrogen handling infrastructure from the server halls, and could allow fuel to be delivered by sea.
Hydrogen is not regarded as inherently more dangerous than gasoline or natural gas when handled properly, but it is highly flammable, burns with an almost invisible flame, and is often stored at very high pressures or cryogenic temperatures, which adds risk.
We assume from the mock-up image that accompanies the CNE release that its barge-based hydrogen power systems will use fuel cells to generate electricity, but Singapore also has a flourishing market in gas turbine projects that combust hydrogen. We asked BDC and CNE to clarify, but the companies were not immediately available to respond.
From 2024, Singapore requires all new and repowered natural gas plants to be at least 30 percent hydrogen-compatible by volume and more carbon-efficient than existing units, with the ability to be retrofitted to run fully on hydrogen in the future.
"The accelerating demand for AI-ready datacenters requires new energy architectures that are resilient, scalable, and sustainable," Bridge Data Centres CEO Eric Fan said. "By pioneering Singapore's first barge-based hydrogen generation solution, we are exploring innovative models that integrate clean energy with advanced digital infrastructure."
The duo says they aim to make advanced hydrogen engineering and barge-based deployment a key part of Singapore's energy ecosystem, and hope it will catalyze investment in hydrogen-related infrastructure, including storage and associated supply chains, to strengthen Singapore's clean energy transition.
The move follows an announcement last year from Japanese shipping biz Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) that it was planning to fit out a ship as a floating datacenter with a capacity of 20 to 73 MW. This is able to draw energy from the shore or from an accompanying powership supplied by Turkish firm Karpowership.
The idea of a floating data facility, according to MOL, is that it can be moved to different locations in response to changes in demand.
Combustion engine maker Wärtsilä also offers floating power plants, typically equipped with diesel generators, and has supplied these to the Caribbean island of Jamaica. ®
Source: The register