At European Hydrogen Week 2026, a hydrogen and data centre guide was announced, for operators, developers and investors.
The guide sets out to provide the answers needed to plan the use of hydrogen for data centres, as the world squabbles over what should power them – with nuclear, hydrogen and on-site traditional renewables as top contenders.
The guide’s central recommendation is to plan hydrogen infrastructure and data centre growth together, where data centres, hydrogen production, renewables and batteries operate as a microgrid.
Hydrogen Europe and Net Zero Innovation Hub, who authored the report, believe that projects reaching final investment decision by 2027 could provide the basis for multi-megawatt commitments – most likely in the Netherlands or Germany, due to their advanced hydrogen infrastructure.
Alberto Ravagni, CEO of the Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centres, said: “The technologies that convert hydrogen to power already work at megawatt scale. What operators need to know now is when hydrogen will reach their sites, where, and at what price. Planning hydrogen infrastructure and data center growth together, particularly in digital energy hubs, is how we make it succeed. The benefits include backup power, grid balancing, faster time to power, and a positive impact on local communities,”
The teams behind the guide hope to benefit both backup power and grid balancing, as the same on-site assets that provide clean backup can also support the grid.
They can free up capacity and shortening the path to a grid connection, whilst they aim to give hydrogen producers the long-term offtake they need to reach final investment decision.
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