Proposed Chantilly data center could be powered by fuel cells

Atlanta-based T5 Data Centers, a company that develops, constructs and operates data centers, is considering using fuel cells to provide electricity from natural gas to a 312,000-square-foot data center in Chantilly, according to a May 6 letter to Fairfax County from attorney Allison J. Reynolds of Walsh Colucci Lubeley & Walsh.

A fuel cell is a device that converts chemical energy from methane in natural gas into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen. Fuel cells produce little or no emissions, require little or no water and operate quietly.

Located within Westfields International Center, a mixed-use corporate business park, the property under consideration for the data center is at the intersection of Stonecroft Boulevard and Lee Road. It’s about 18.64 acres and is zoned as a light intensity industrial district or I-3.

T5 Data Centers intends to seek a special exemption from the county for the data center, according to the letter, because the planned facility will exceed the 80,000 square feet of gross floor area allowed for data centers in an I-3 district.

In the letter, Reynolds asks Zoning Administrator Leslie Johnson to confirm that fuel cells to provide on-site electricity would be considered “a utility facility, light” under the zoning ordinance.

“To date, Fairfax County has not evaluated a data center or other facility proposing to use on-site fuel cells to address its energy needs,” Reynolds wrote.

The company plans to use three power sources for the proposed data center: on-site fuel cells that provide electricity by converting natural gas supplied by a natural gas pipeline; electricity from the power grid provided by Dominion Energy; and diesel generators when other sources are unavailable.

Because of existing constraints of Dominion Energy’s power grid, the letter stated, additional on-site electricity generation is necessary for the data center.

The developer intends to use fuel cells to provide 60 megawatts of electricity. The electricity generated by the fuel cells is expected to be enough to operate the data center’s base load. For periods of higher demand, the operator plans to use power from the grid in addition to the fuel cells.

The applicant does not plan to provide electricity for other facilities or to provide electricity to the grid.

The fuel cells will be outdoors on the property and stand less than 29 feet high and are expected to take up about 82,650 square feet. They will connect to an existing natural gas pipeline about 4,000 feet from the property, according to the letter.

Reynolds stated that this setup is most similar to an electrical substation use under the county’s zoning ordinance, which is considered a utility facility, light, which is a permitted use in an I-3 district.

The data center building is expected to exceed 75 feet in height.

According to property records, the land is owned by an entity known as TAG Land Westfield Group, which shares an address with the Alter Group, an Illinois-based real estate development company.

Neither T5 Data Centers nor Reynolds immediately responded to a request for comment.

T5’s portfolio of data centers includes properties in Charlotte, North Carolina; Portland, Oregon, and Dallas.