Apr 10, 2025
Could AI outgrow the world’s power supply?
In a recent article for Data Centre Review our Chief Technology Officer, Caroline Hargrove, writes on the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence (AI) and the implications for power supply and sustainability.
In her piece, Caroline explains that the expected rise in data centre energy use to 3-4% of the global total by 2030 will highly impact grid stability and carbon emissions, which could increase and outstrip those of the aviation industry.
One of the solutions Caroline shares is the use of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) as an efficient alternative for data centre power. SOFC can operate on various fuels, including natural gas, are suitable for primary power in data centre microgrids, and are much cleaner than other sources of energy.
According to Caroline:
Fuel cells are destined to play a major role in meeting the surge in power demand for AI data centres. This presents a promising, sustainable solution to address the energy challenges accompanying the dramatic upswing in demand.