Tech powerhouse Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has successfully powered a data center in New York with hydrogen fuel cells. It’s part of the company’s effort to find a zero-carbon-emissions substitute for the diesel-powered backup generators that keep operations running during power outages or other service disruptions. Sean James, Microsoft’s head of data center research, termed it a “moon landing moment” for the industry. 

James stated, “We have a generator that produces no emissions. It’s mind-blowing.”

To simplify, data centers are the physical infrastructure behind the cloud computing veil, where kitten videos and vacation images are stored, distant workers join for virtual meetings, and gamers congregate. They’re essentially warehouses filled with tens of thousands of computer servers and the technology required to keep them running and accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This includes equipment that keeps the servers at T-shirt temperatures and batteries and generators that keep the power on even during power outages.

Microsoft strives to deliver 99.999% service availability to data center customers and to do so. They rely in part on the batteries in what’s known as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to switch on the instant a power outage happens and power the servers while backup generators are powered up. When backup generators are activated, they generally use fossil fuels; however, in this test, low-carbon “blue” hydrogen was acquired as a byproduct of chlorine and sodium hydroxide industrial manufacturing. It may only appear to be a few elegant shipping containers, but the ramifications for the industry might be enormous.

With the prototype testing of the three-megawatt fuel cell system completed, engineering firm Plug hopes to launch a commercial version of high-power stationary fuel cell devices with a reduced footprint.

In addition, Microsoft will build one of these second-generation fuel cell systems at a research data center where engineers will learn how to use and deploy the new technology, including developing hydrogen safety measures.

Featured Image: Megapixl @Hopsalka