A new data center could be built in Chantilly with a power system that’s new to Fairfax County. The proposed development would be powered mainly from fuel cells, which convert natural gas into electricity, rather than relying on energy from the power grid, Fairfax Real Estate Insider first reported.
Allison Reynolds, an attorney representing T-5 Data Centers, submitted a letter to Fairfax County earlier this month. She requested clarification of whether the fuel cell model would be permitted under the site’s current zoning status. This would be the first data center in Fairfax County to use fuel cells.
This proposed facility would be located at the intersection of Stonecroft Boulevard and Lee Road in Chantilly. It would encompass about 312,000 square feet.
Powering the Data Center
The proposed fuel cells would generate about 60 megawatts of energy for data center use. In “higher load periods,” the data center would use power from Dominion Energy. A backup diesel generator would be used in emergency situations when other power sources are not available.
According to the letter, smaller scale projects have used fuel cells for decades. “The efficiency of fuel cells has increased during recent years making them a viable option to provide electricity to larger facilities such as data centers or manufacturing facilities,” it says.
And, it says, “many data centers around the country are now utilizing fuel cells to supplement their electricity needs, especially in areas where the electricity grid does not have adequate supply to serve these facilities.”
Reynolds’ letter says that fuel cells are different from onsite natural gas or diesel backup generators. The cells convert natural gas to electric energy through a chemical reaction without combustion. “Because fuel cells generate energy without combustion, they generate nearly zero criteria pollutants, making them environmentally superior to other electricity generation options with respect to air pollution,” the letter says.
And they’re different from batteries or battery energy storage system facilities “because they convert fuel to electricity, rather than storing electricity.” The cells would be located in a screened, outdoor fuel cell yard, the letter says.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
