Singapore eyes barge-based hydrogen power for datacenters

Datacenters increasingly want dedicated power, and Singapore has a unique solution. Bridge Data Centres (BDC) and Concord New Energy (CNE) are working to put hydrogen power generators on barges, saying that this arrangement is particularly suited to the local environment.

The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly develop the concept and position it for AI-heavy datacenter builds, pitching it as part of a lower-carbon power strategy for Singapore’s datacenter sector.

A barge-based configuration offers advantages over land-based facilities, according to BDC, including optimization of scarce land resources through offshore or nearshore deployment, vital in a country that is smaller than many cities, including London.

This arrangement also offers segregation between hydrogen handling infrastructure and the core datacenter operations, the firm says, plus greater flexibility in hydrogen transport and storage, making use of Singapore's maritime ecosystem.

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