Siemens Energy Makes AI Data Centers Possible in the First Place
Siemens Energy is a true heavyweight in the energy sector. The company is resolutely driving the scaling of global production capacities for green hydrogen and, together with its partner Air Liquide, operates a highly automated gigafactory for proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers in Berlin. The Berlin production facility expanded its capacity from an initial 1 gigawatt to 3 gigawatts per year to significantly reduce green hydrogen production costs. Major projects such as the French “Air Liquide Normand’Hy” initiative in Port-Jérôme, which is based on 288 PEM stacks manufactured in Berlin and is expected to save approximately 250,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually starting in 2026, underscore this potential. But even the traditional, fossil-fuel-powered power plant sector is experiencing an unprecedented boom. The reason: the energy hunger of North American AI data centers. To circumvent years of delays in grid connection, tech giants are increasingly installing modular natural gas turbines directly at their data hubs—a phenomenon experts refer to as the “dark energy” demand surge. Siemens Energy is addressing this trend in partnership with Eaton by offering standardized, preconfigured 500-MW gas turbine power plant modules.
SpaceX Aims to Make Rocket Launches Climate-Neutral
In a completely different area of technological change, the space company SpaceX operates under the leadership of visionary Elon Musk. With the Starship platform, the company switched to the cryogenic Methalox system, as it produces virtually no soot particles compared to traditional kerosene engines and makes the rapid reusability of the Raptor engines possible in the first place. Despite the cleaner combustion, every single Starship launch emits around 2,338 metric tons of CO2 equivalent, which is likely to force SpaceX to undertake ambitious carbon offset projects on Earth. As part of the massive Texas project “Hydrogen City,” Green Hydrogen International (GHI) plans to produce more than 2.5 million metric tons of green hydrogen per year starting in 2029 through a 60-GW wind and solar project. The gas is to be stored in underground caverns, transported to the Port of Brownsville, and refined there using captured CO2 to produce synthetic, green liquid methane. Many industry observers believe the project could pave the way for climate-neutral rocket launches. However, there is currently no partnership between the two companies. Interestingly, SpaceX relies on German software for its engineering workflows, using Siemens’s NX product lifecycle management (PLM) platform for digital 3D design and data management.
First Hydrogen Impresses in Rigorous Winter Testing
Amid the corporations’ visions, Canadian hydrogen innovator First Hydrogen is seizing its opportunity with light commercial vehicles. The company is pursuing a “best-of” strategy and avoiding the costly development of its own platforms by utilizing the established MAN eTGE chassis and equipping it with state-of-the-art PEM fuel cells in collaboration with AVL Powertrain and Ballard Power Systems. Fleet trials in the UK confirmed the technology’s real-world suitability, including a delivery operation with Amazon in London and winter field operations with Wales & West Utilities. According to company data from the SSE/Rivus tests, one vehicle achieved a range of 630 km on a single tank of fuel. Average consumption was a remarkably low 1.58 kg of hydrogen per 100 km, while the waste heat from the fuel cell was used directly to heat the passenger compartment. To enable scaling, management is pushing forward with the Shawinigan project in the Canadian province of Québec, where a 35-MW electrolysis plant powered by low-cost hydroelectricity and a factory for the annual final assembly of up to 25,000 vehicles are to be built.
First Hydrogen: Many Ideas and a Promising Starting Point
In addition to its light commercial vehicle business, First Hydrogen has established additional pillars of revenue in recent quarters. For example, the company founded a subsidiary dedicated to innovative small modular reactors (SMRs). These modular reactors are designed to be safer and provide decentralized energy, for example near data centers or for producing hydrogen during periods of low solar and wind power generation. First Hydrogen has also repeatedly seen its share price soar in the past. If the company’s innovative strength meets with demand from small and medium-sized businesses or powerful industrial partners, the stock could take off again at any time. The share offers many of the qualities that speculative investors seek. Given the price setbacks in recent months, the stock is in an exciting starting position. Its market capitalization of approximately CAD 30 million CAD underscores this potential but also calls for appropriate risk management.
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