The financial and ECONOMICAL assessment of integrating green hydrogen in the transition towards environmental sustainability of data centres

The rapid expansion of cloud computing and artificial intelligence is increasing data-centre electricity demand while strengthening the need for reliable and low-carbon backup power systems. This study proposes and evaluates a hybrid architecture integrating photovoltaic (PV) generation, battery energy storage (BESS), PEM electrolysis, green hydrogen storage, and PEM fuel cells for a modular 10 kW data centre in Bucharest, Romania. The system operates under three scenarios: normal grid-connected operation, short-duration outages supplied by the BESS, and long-duration outages supplied by hydrogen fuel cells. The architecture is evaluated through technical modelling, 20-year incremental financial analysis, operational risk assessment, and sensitivity analysis. Results indicate technical and economic feasibility, with a net present value of €52,974, an internal rate of return of 10.38%, a discounted payback period of 9.17 years, and a benefit-to-cost ratio of 1.13 at an 8.2% discount rate. The proposed system reduces annual grid electricity imports by 27.87% and eliminates diesel consumption for backup generation. Sensitivity analysis identifies capital investment and component efficiency as the main determinants of economic performance. The proposed framework demonstrates the potential of hybrid PV–BESS–hydrogen systems to provide resilient and low-carbon backup power for mission-critical infrastructure.