Siemens and FuelCell Energy Partner to Develop Fuel Cell Power Systems for Data Centers

Siemens has entered into a strategic partnership with FuelCell Energy to jointly develop fuel cell-based power generation systems, with a specific focus on serving data centers as a key end-user. The collaboration aims to address the growing demand for reliable, on-site power in the energy-intensive data center sector.

The two companies have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlining their plans. Under the agreement, Siemens will design and supply electrical balance-of-plant systems for fuel cell installations, supporting the deployment of commercial projects exceeding 100MW. Beyond this, the partners will co-develop distributed energy systems that integrate fuel cells with battery energy storage, microgrid controls, and medium-voltage electrical equipment. This comprehensive approach encompasses engineering, integration, and delivery, while also evaluating methods to scale deployments to improve project timelines and reduce costs.

The partnership brings together FuelCell Energy’s fuel cell technology with Siemens’ expertise in electrical infrastructure and integration. Kevin Brown, head of sustainability solutions, electrification, and automation at Siemens Smart Infrastructure USA, stated that the combination allows the companies to deliver scalable, on-site power solutions for energy-intensive applications. He emphasized that this approach helps customers deploy power faster, scale with confidence, and advance toward lower-emission, more resilient energy systems. Shankar Achanta, chief product and technology officer at FuelCell Energy, added that the collaboration enables the delivery of a single, scalable solution that combines generation and electrical infrastructure, providing customers with reliable on-site power that is faster to deploy and built to scale, starting with the data centers driving today’s demand.

FuelCell Energy, a developer of carbonate fuel cells, currently offers three core products tailored to the data center market: a 1.25MW system, a 2.5MW system, and a 12.5MW system. The company launched its newest 12.5MW model in March of this year. The firm has been actively expanding its footprint in the data center space. Last month, it signed its first binding data center power deal with US developer Fit Energy USA, agreeing to supply up to 380MW of on-site fuel cell generation for behind-the-meter data center power. If fully realized, this would represent one of the largest fuel cell deployments to date.

In addition to the Fit Energy agreement, FuelCell Energy has secured two other non-binding deals in the sector. In January, it partnered with investment company Sustainable Development Capital (SDC) to explore deploying up to 450MW of fuel cell power systems to support global data center growth. Prior to that, it collaborated with AI data center developer Inuverse to explore deploying up to 100MW of fuel cell power at a data center in Daegu, South Korea.

Fuel cells are gaining traction within the data center industry as a lower-carbon solution for developers seeking dispatchable power. The sector’s largest player, Bloom Energy, has already signed multiple agreements to power data centers in the US market, including deals with AEP Ohio, Equinix, and Oracle. The partnership between Siemens and FuelCell Energy signals a further step toward integrating fuel cell technology into the mainstream data center power supply chain, offering a pathway to more sustainable and resilient operations.