Hydrogen Fuel Cells, SMRs and Gas Turbines Power Doosan’s AI Data Center Strategy

When AI pops into your mind, you probably picture rows of servers or lines of code—hardly the giant turbines and reactors that power our world. But at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Doosan Group flipped that script. Under the banner “Powered by Doosan,” the 127-year-old conglomerate rolled out massive gas turbines, sleek small modular reactors and cutting-edge hydrogen fuel cells, all built to keep modern data centers humming with the power they crave.

You might be wondering why an industrial heavyweight like Doosan is so fired up about AI. Data centers are set to gulp down a growing chunk of the grid—some forecasts say nearly 12% of U.S. electricity by 2030. With real-time, latency-sensitive workloads and big sustainable energy targets on the line, cloud operators need reliable, lower-emission power. Doosan’s pitch? A one-stop shop of energy solutions—from gigawatt-scale turbines to portable fuel cell technology units—that ticks every box for efficiency and green credentials.

According to Chairman Park Jeong-won, every data center has its own energy appetite and emissions goals, so Doosan built a menu to match. They’re already locking in supply deals and teaming up with partners across North America and Europe. “Data hubs coast to coast are rethinking their energy mix,” he said. “Our cross-technology lineup brings gas, nuclear and fuel cells together under one roof.”

At the Heart of the Booth: The 380 MW Gas Turbine

The real showstopper was Doosan Enerbility’s 380 MW-class gas turbine. It’s a milestone—Doosan’s the first Korean company and only the fifth globally to bring a machine of this scale to market solo. Running on natural gas today, it’s built hydrogen-ready: blend in low-carbon hydrogen now, flip to 100% hydrogen later. That flexibility lets data centers start slashing emissions immediately while they build out their hydrogen infrastructure.

Under the hood, it’s all about the Brayton cycle: compress air, combust fuel at high pressure, expand the hot gases to spin a generator. And because AI workloads can’t pause, Doosan is laser-focused on uptime and peak efficiency—24/7, no compromises. They’ve already sealed a five-unit deal with a top U.S. cloud provider, proving hyperscale operators are open to alternatives beyond the usual Western OEMs.

Modular Reactors Meet AI Demand

Flanking the turbine were scale models of small modular reactors (SMR). Drawing on decades of nuclear know-how—34 reactor units and 124 steam generators delivered worldwide—Doosan Enerbility is pitching itself as the go-to partner for SMR developers. These factory-built modules promise scalable, zero-emission technology you can truck in and assemble in a fraction of the time, complete with safety features engineered from day one.

For AI campuses that grow in stages, SMRs let you add capacity one module at a time, matching power supply to compute demand and keeping financial risk in check. And in regions where solar and wind can’t guarantee round-the-clock juice, these compact reactors could lock in carbon-free baseload power.

Fuel Cells on the Move

Saving the neatest trick for last, HyAxiom—Doosan’s spin-out—showed off its state-of-the-art phosphoric acid fuel cell technology. Born from early NASA research, HyAxiom has already hit two big milestones: the world’s largest LNG fuel cell plant and the first 100% hydrogen fuel cell installation.

At CES, they spotlighted a 10 MW power block and a trailer-mounted package that can plug into the grid within hours, not months. Inside, stacks of fuel cell modules convert hydrogen into electricity and heat—no combustion required—boosting efficiency and slashing emissions compared to diesel generators. You could park one next to your data hall to smooth out peak loads or act as a resilience buffer when the grid hiccups.

Ripples Across Energy and Policy

Doosan’s multi-pronged showcase is more than flashy hardware; it signals a broader sustainable energy shift where AI data centers become anchor customers for advanced power solutions. Environmental advocates will cheer the move toward zero-emission technology, though the real impact depends on how clean upstream hydrogen production and nuclear fuel cycles are. Economists will eye export opportunities: turbines, reactor modules and fuel cells built in South Korea shipped to hyperscale hubs worldwide.

Policy-makers, meanwhile, are taking notes. SMR deployment calls for fresh licensing frameworks, and blending hydrogen into gas turbines means updating safety standards. Utilities can even tap those trailer-mounted fuel cells for peak shaving or black-start services. It’s a balancing act between spurring innovation and keeping the grid reliable and secure.

What’s Next?

The story doesn’t end when the booth doors close. Doosan is racing toward a 2028 goal for its first fully hydrogen-fired 380 MW turbine—a milestone that could deliver large-scale, zero-emission technology straight to AI campuses. At CES, they were also on the hunt for AI and digital talent to weave machine-learning controls into their gear—what they call “Physical AI.” Imagine turbines that self-optimize or fuel cells that predict maintenance needs before alarms even ring.

If you’re tracking the next wave of AI infrastructure, don’t just watch chip roadmaps—keep an eye on kilowatts, too. The convergence of data and electrons is already here, and the companies that master both may well define where and how the next era of computing runs.

About Doosan Group: Founded in 1896, Doosan Group started as a Korean trading house and has grown into a global industrial powerhouse. Today, through Doosan Enerbility and HyAxiom, it engineers gas turbines, nuclear reactor components and hydrogen fuel cells for markets hungry for sustainable energy worldwide.