HDF Energy Wants Texas Data Centers Running on Blue Hydrogen

France-based HDF Energy plans a 250 megawatt (MW) blue hydrogen power plant, BaseBlue Power, in West Texas to supply data centers from 2030. The company picked Denmark-based Topsoe's SynCOR technology to turn Permian Basin natural gas into hydrogen. Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells then generate the electricity. The hydrogen production unit captures 98% of its CO₂ for underground storage.

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What Is BaseBlue Power?

BaseBlue Power is a planned 250 MW plant in West Texas. It converts natural gas into hydrogen, then into electricity for data centers.

HDF Energy announced on October 29, 2026 that it selected Topsoe as technology licensor. HDF Energy was founded in 2012 and has been listed on Euronext Paris since 2021. It already develops multi-megawatt PEM fuel cell power plants in Martinique and French Guiana.

Topsoe was founded in 1940 and employs about 2,500 people. Its scope covers the technology license, process design, basic engineering, proprietary equipment and catalysts. Those items serve the hydrogen production and CO₂ capture unit.

The announcement covers a technology license only. Storage agreements, financing and permits still come before a final investment decision.

Henrik Rasmussen, Managing Director of the Americas at Topsoe, called the project a first for the company.

To reach 250 MW, HDF Energy is partnering with established heavy-duty fuel cell manufacturers. The partners must meet requirements for volume, performance, reliability and integration.

How Does BaseBlue Turn Natural Gas Into Firm Power?

BaseBlue Power converts Permian Basin natural gas into 400 tons of hydrogen per day using Topsoe's autothermal reforming (ATR) technology. PEM fuel cells then turn that hydrogen into approximately 250 MW of electricity.

1. SynCOR ATR converts Permian Basin natural gas into hydrogen at 400 tons per day.
2. The process creates a concentrated CO₂ stream before any fuel is burned.
3. The plant captures 98% of the CO₂, about 1.1 million metric tons per year, and compresses it.
4. A pipeline carries the CO₂ to underground storage in the region.
5. PEM fuel cells use the hydrogen to deliver electricity directly to data centers.

PEM fuel cells offer electrical efficiency above 50%. They respond within seconds to load swings. They emit only water at the point of generation.

SynCOR runs at a low steam-to-carbon ratio. That reduces operating costs, equipment size and footprint. Topsoe's autothermal reformers have supplied hydrogen to the syngas industry since 1958.

Why Are Texas Data Centers Looking at Blue Hydrogen?

US data centers used 176 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2023, about 4.4% of national consumption, according to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The laboratory's 2024 report projects 325 to 580 terawatt-hours by 2028. That range equals 6.7% to 12% of US electricity.

Texas shows the pressure clearly. The grid operator ERCOT reported about 474 gigawatts of large loads seeking interconnection as of June 2026. ERCOT told Texas senators in July 2026 that about 90% of those requests are data centers.

HDF Energy notes that conventional gas turbines and engines face reported lead times of four years or more. Thibault Menage, Vice President US & Caribbean at HDF Energy, described the need this way: "Data centers are growing faster than the grid can follow, and their operators need power that is both firm and low-carbon."

Hydrogen already powers data centers elsewhere. A Bay Area data center is betting on hydrogen as its power source.

Other Texas blue hydrogen projects are moving too. Chevron announced plans in July 2025 for a $5 billion blue hydrogen and ammonia plant in Port Arthur. ExxonMobil's Baytown, Texas low-carbon hydrogen project received a front-end engineering and design contract.

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How Does BaseBlue Compare With Conventional Gas Power?

BaseBlue generates electricity in fuel cells instead of burning natural gas in turbines or engines. The design captures CO₂ at the hydrogen production unit.

The table draws on HDF Energy's announced project design. The modular, scalable layout could be replicated at other sites. gasworld reports BaseBlue would be one of the largest stationary hydrogen fuel cell deployments in the world if built.

Feature	BaseBlue Power	Conventional Gas Turbine or Engine Plant
Fuel source	Permian Basin natural gas converted to hydrogen by ATR	Natural gas burned directly
Power generation	About 250 MW of PEM fuel cells with electrical efficiency above 50%	Combustion in gas turbines or engines
CO₂ handling	98% captured at the hydrogen unit, about 1.1 million metric tons per year, piped to underground storage	Emissions from burning natural gas
Target timeline	Electricity delivery to data centers from 2030	Reported equipment lead times of four years or more

What Has to Happen Before 2030?

BaseBlue Power targets electricity delivery from 2030. Storage agreements, financing and permits come next.

CO₂ infrastructure is expanding across the Permian Basin. Occidental and BlackRock formed a joint venture to develop STRATOS, with BlackRock investing $550 million on behalf of clients. In Yoakum County, a Permian Basin direct air capture test site targets about 10,000 tons of CO₂ per year in its first phase.

Storage deals are forming along the Gulf Coast too. ExxonMobil signed a carbon capture agreement with CF Industries in Mississippi.

Permit pathways are opening in other states. Wyoming granted its first three Class VI permits for CO₂ storage wells. Conestoga Energy submitted a Class VI permit application to EPA Region 7.

From Permian Gas to Firm Power

BaseBlue Power would turn 400 tons of hydrogen per day into approximately 250 MW of firm electricity. About 1.1 million metric tons of CO₂ per year would head for underground storage. Data centers in West Texas would receive that power from 2030.

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