Texas Hydrogen Power Plant to Supply Data Centers
The 250MW project uses autothermal reforming and carbon capture to provide low-emission electricity by 2030.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Data Centers
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Should data centres increasingly rely on hydrogen-based power to meet their electricity needs?
HDF Energy has licensed Topsoe's SynCor autothermal reforming technology for the BaseBlue Power project in western Texas. The facility will generate 250MW of electricity for data centers using hydrogen produced from natural gas.
Why it matters
As Texas data center power demand scales, this project serves as a test case for large-scale, low-emission hydrogen power generation. It aims to integrate hydrogen fuel cells with carbon capture at a utility-grade level.
The BaseBlue Power project will use Topsoe's SynCor autothermal reforming to produce hydrogen-rich syngas, with a target daily output of 400 tonnes. The plant is designed to capture 98% of produced carbon dioxide for permanent underground storage.
The players
HDF Energy
A developer specializing in multi-megawatt hydrogen power plants and integrated energy infrastructure projects.
Topsoe
A Danish technology provider focused on catalysts, carbon reduction, and chemical synthesis processes for industrial scale.
The details
The facility will utilize PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) fuel cells, which use a solid polymer electrolyte to convert hydrogen into electricity via an electrochemical reaction. Before entering the cells, natural gas is processed through Topsoe's reforming system to extract hydrogen, separating it from the carbon-rich byproduct. This captured carbon is then compressed and transported via pipeline for subterranean sequestration.
Timeline
2030: BaseBlue Power project expected to come online.
The Tech Race
This deployment marks a major move to bring hydrogen power to the multi-hundred megawatt scale required by modern hyperscale data centers. It follows the pattern of large-scale hydrogen deployment supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Hydrogen Hubs initiative.
Data center operators in Texas may gain access to a new, low-carbon power source that could help meet sustainability targets. The facility is not expected to be online until 2030, at which point it will provide 250MW of capacity to the local grid.
The takeaway
The project signals a shift toward dedicated, low-emission power plants designed specifically for the high-availability needs of data centers. Interested observers should monitor the 2030 project launch for benchmarks on hydrogen fuel cell efficiency at the 250MW scale.
Further reading
Learn more about energy demand trends at our Data Centers section.
Live Poll
Should data centres increasingly rely on hydrogen-based power to meet their electricity needs?
