Nxtra to deploy Bloom Energy hydrogen fuel cells at its Karnataka data center

Nxtra has announced that it has partnered with Bloom Energy to deploy, what it calls, low environmental impact fuel cell installation at one of its facilities. Its data center in Karnataka will be the target of the installation and will make Nxtra the first company in India to make such a deployment.

Speaking about how this step aligns with the company’s sustainability goals, Rajesh Tapadia, chief operating officer at Nxtra, said: “With an ambition to reach net zero by 2031, we have embarked on our sustainability journey by making all possible efforts to adopt innovative energy solutions.”

Meanwhile, Tim Schweikert, senior managing director, international business development, Bloom Energy, commented: “Bloom Energy’s technology is distinctly capable of helping India meet its decarbonization objectives as it transitions to a hydrogen economy.” Adding: “We are proud to collaborate with Nxtra to support them in their pursuit of using clean, reliable and affordable power for their data centers.”

According to Nxtra it will start the unit on non-combusted natural gas, before switching to 50% hydrogen. It outlined that the natural gas-powered cells will be used for primary generation, with a utility electrical grid and generators as backup sources.

The company reportedly has the largest network of data centers in India, with 12 large and 120 edge data centers across the country.