Data centres are facing a major energy supply challenge. Power grid operators such as Eirgrid will no longer allow them to remain passive consumers, they expect them to play an active role in supporting grid stability.
This is an essential measure to ensure availability of supply and to keep electricity costs down for both industrial and domestic consumers.
ABB has responded by setting a new benchmark for data centre energy infrastructure with a breakthrough solution that combines ultracapacitor energy storage (UCAPS ESS) and dynamic grid support with intelligent, real-time power orchestration. The solution is designed to meet the most demanding grid stability requirements by enabling data centers to respond to grid disturbances in milliseconds, without redesigning existing electrical systems.
At the core of ABB’s innovation is a compact modular, behind-the-meter platform that transforms how power is managed during critical events. By integrating ultrafast energy storage with grid-forming power conversion and advanced digital control, the solution enables large energy users to actively stabilize the grid while maintaining operational continuity.
The approach represents a fundamental shift. Rather than relying on traditional backup systems designed to isolate facilities from grid events, ABB’s technology allows data centers to dynamically interact with the grid, delivering precise, sub-second responses that support frequency stability, voltage control and rapid demand recovery.
ABB’s new whitepaper, Ireland’s Data Centers – Moving from Passive Consumption to Active Participation in Grid Stabilization, outlines how this world-leading approach provides a practical, scalable pathway to compliance with emerging grid code requirements such as EirGrid’s MPID345.
The full whitepaper is available here.
For more information www.abb.com
