Caterpillar H2 collaboration receives U.S. DOE recognition

Caterpillar Inc. announced that its collaboration with Microsoft and Ballard Power Systems on a data center power solution using a large-format hydrogen fuel cell earned the top honor in the “Systems Development and Integration” category at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydrogen Program 2024 Annual Merit Review Awards. Presented at the 2024 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting, the awards recognize contributions to overall program efforts and highlight research, development and demonstration achievements in specific disciplines.

Paul Wang, Ph.D., senior engineering project team lead for Caterpillar, accepted the award on behalf of the engineering team. (Photo: Caterpillar)

The award-winning demonstration project was conducted in a challenging environment and validated the hydrogen fuel cell power system’s performance at 6,086 ft. (1,855 m) above sea level and in below-freezing conditions. The project simulated a 48-hour backup power event at Microsoft’s data center in Cheyenne, Wyo., using two Cat Power Grid Stabilization (PGS) 1260 battery energy storage systems and a 1.5-MW hydrogen fuel cell.

Caterpillar led the project, providing overall system integration, power electronics and microgrid controls that form the central structure of the hydrogen power solution. Microsoft hosted the project, while Ballard supplied an advanced hydrogen fuel cell module.

According to Caterpillar, “the demonstration provided valuable insights into the capabilities of fuel cell systems to power multi-megawatt data centers, ensuring an uninterrupted power supply to meet 99.999% uptime requirements.”

The award was accepted by Paul Wang, Ph.D., senior engineering project team lead for Caterpillar, who represented a team of more than 50 engineers.

“This award from the DOE validates how our advanced technologies, industry expertise and collaborative approach are helping customers meet their climate-related objectives,” said Jaime Mineart, senior vice president of Caterpillar Electric Power.

Backed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the demonstration is supported and partially funded by the DOE’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office under the H2@Scale initiative, which brings stakeholders together to advance affordable hydrogen production, transport, storage and utilization in multiple energy sectors. During the demonstration, the NREL analyzed safety, techno-economics and greenhouse gas impacts..