Atmos Energy adds a natural gas fuel cell to its own data center, furthering its sustainability goals
Advancing its sustainability goals and serving as a model for its own customers, Atmos Energy recently completed the installation of a natural gas fuel cell at its corporate data center in Dallas.
The project is generating high-efficiency, grid-independent electricity with low emissions. “Natural gas once again proves it plays a pivotal role in lowering greenhouse gas emissions while increasing reliability to our critical facilities,” Jennifer Ries, Atmos Energy’s vice president of pipeline safety, said at the time. “We are excited to have this innovative technology operational and will continue to explore additional pathways to achieve increased reliability and a low-carbon energy future.”
The 460-kilowatt fuel cell produces electricity and heat through an electrochemical process with no combustion or moving parts, allowing it to deliver up to 90% system efficiency and much lower emissions. When combined with renewable natural gas or carbon offsets, the energy can be emissions free.
According to the manufacturer, a natural gas fuel cell offsets approximately three times more carbon dioxide than either solar or wind power due to the fuel cell’s high-efficiency, highcapacity factor and very low or zero emissions. In addition, a fuel cell requires a far smaller physical footprint than other renewable energy projects, generating nearly 500 times more power per square foot annually than solar or wind.
In the future, Atmos plans to work to power fuel cells with RNG produced from methane captured at landfills and livestock farms or combine it with carbon offsets, further benefiting the environment and delivering even greater sustainability.