ECL Wins Three Awards for Hydrogen-Powered Data Centres
ECL has claimed three honours at the Global Sustainability Awards 2025.
The California-based startup won the Net Zero Award, the Project of the Year Award and the Startup Award for its hydrogen-powered approach to data centres.
Judges highlighted the company’s innovation and scalability, positioning it as a leader in sustainable digital infrastructure.
Yuval Bachar, Founder and CEO of ECL, welcomed the recognition. “Never before has hydrogen been harnessed for use as the primary power source for the data centre and that, combined with the unmatched efficiency of our cooling system and our emissions-free operations, is unique in the world today.”
Modular and sustainable infrastructure
ECL’s business model is built around modular, off-grid data-centre-as-a-service units.
These advanced 3D-printed data centre modules run entirely on green hydrogen fuel cells, producing zero emissions during operation.
A distinctive feature of the design is its use of byproduct water from fuel-cell generation to provide cooling.
This closed-loop process eliminates reliance on external water supplies and supports self-sufficient operation.
By combining emissions-free power with efficient cooling, ECL’s system provides a scalable alternative to traditional data centres.
It offers both cloud providers and enterprises a way to deploy infrastructure that reduces environmental impact while supporting demanding compute requirements.
Award-winning innovation
The Global Sustainability Awards recognised ECL for its ability to demonstrate tangible decarbonisation outcomes while scaling to meet industry needs.
For the Net Zero Award, judges sought practical solutions to carbon elimination.
ECL’s zero-emission design stood out in a competitive field that included highly commended efforts from Fincantieri & DP World.
In the Project of the Year category, ECL’s fully realised hydrogen-powered data centre impressed the panel with its execution and transformative potential.
Other contenders such as apetito Ltd & Link received commendations.
The Startup Award highlighted new companies disrupting their sectors. ECL’s win reflected its ability to shift the data centre conversation from incremental efficiency gains to a fully new operating model.
Hydrogen for AI workloads
ECL’s approach is designed with modern compute challenges in mind.
Its hydrogen-powered data centres can sustain high-density processing requirements typical of artificial intelligence and machine learning applications.
The system’s energy and water self-sufficiency make it well-suited for workloads that would otherwise impose significant environmental strain.
By removing dependency on grid electricity and municipal water, ECL enables data centre operators to scale infrastructure without adding to existing pressures on utilities.
This capability is particularly relevant as AI workloads drive unprecedented demand for compute power. With traditional infrastructure models struggling to balance performance and sustainability, hydrogen-based solutions offer a viable alternative.
Ripple effects across the supply chain
ECL’s work also has implications beyond its own operations.
By establishing hydrogen-powered infrastructure as a practical option, the company may influence suppliers and partners to adopt more sustainable practices.
This could create broader momentum for decarbonisation in the digital ecosystem.
The awards panel recognised that ECL’s technology represents not just an isolated breakthrough but a replicable blueprint for sustainable infrastructure.
By winning in three separate categories, the company demonstrated both technical achievement and industry-wide relevance.
A blueprint for the future
ECL’s triple victory at the Global Sustainability Awards underlines the impact of hydrogen power in the data centre industry.
Its combination of zero emissions, closed-loop water use and scalability addresses some of the sector’s most pressing challenges.
As data centre demand accelerates, solutions like ECL’s highlight how sustainability can be integrated into core infrastructure rather than treated as an afterthought.
With its innovative model already recognised at a global level, the company is set to play a significant role in shaping the next generation of data centre design.