As of September 1, 2026, Hitachi and Bloom Energy announced a collaboration to deploy on-site fuel cell power systems for data centers and industrial facilities in Japan. [1] The companies are targeting growing electricity demand from AI-driven data center expansion as well as energy-intensive industries such as semiconductor manufacturing. The systems would generate electricity near the point of consumption, reducing reliance on existing grid capacity and potentially allowing facilities to add power without waiting for grid infrastructure expansions. The companies previously tested Bloom’s fuel cells with Hitachi’s control systems at Hitachi’s Omika Works in Ibaraki, demonstrating remote control of power output and monitoring of system operations. The fuel cells can operate on natural gas, biogas, or hydrogen, with emissions depending on the fuel used. Hitachi and Bloom said the systems could also provide backup power and improve energy resilience for industrial facilities.

[1] https://www.hitachi.com/content/dam/hitachi/global/en/press/files/2026/09/260901b.pdf