Chinese hydrogen developer Jiangsu Guofu Hydrogen Energy has partnered with a consortium of APAC firms to explore deploying hydrogen power generation systems at data centers across Thailand and Southeast Asia.

Guofu inked the deal with Thai independent power producer Charoen Energy and Water Asia Company Limited (CEWA) and Hydro Data, an associated company of Guofu.

Per the terms of the agreement, CEWA will explore and identify potential data center projects in Thailand and Southeast Asia, Hydro Data will provide customized technical plans for any identified project(s), and Guofu will provide the relevant power generation equipment for the selected projects.

The partners will initially cooperate on a pilot project in Rayong, Thailand, with a capacity of 3MW.

Guofu is a manufacturer of hydrogen power systems and their associated infrastructure. The company manufactures both Alkaline and Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) water electrolysis systems, as well as hydrogen fuel cell systems for the mobility sector.

The project is not Guofu’s first foray into the data center sector. In March, the company entered a tripartite supply cooperation agreement with BTE and Hylium on a demonstration project that will combine hydrogen production with power generation equipment capable of supplying electricity to large-scale data centers.

Data center providers are increasingly looking towards hydrogen as a potential future fuel source for their operations. At present, the majority of deals signed in the space have either been demonstration projects or supply deals tied to natural gas-powered hydrogen fuel cell systems. The most prominent player in this market has been Bloom Energy, a manufacturer of solid oxide fuel cells. The company has signed deals with Nebius, Oracle, and Equinix.