As the energy demands of artificial intelligence continue to climb, the search for efficient and cost-effective power sources has intensified. Petra Power is among the companies pursuing this opportunity with a product it says can cut fuel costs and emissions compared with traditional generation.
The company sells solid oxide fuel cells: ceramic devices that strip electrons directly from fuel such as natural gas to produce electricity, bypassing the combustion step. "What fuel cells do is they take the electrons directly off of the fuel, so they strip the fuel of its electrons, which creates electricity. It's one step, no loss, and subsequently, in theory, at least, they're much, much more efficient," Goodman told TechCrunch.
Petra is targeting two customer groups: data centers and the U.S. Defense Department. Goodman declined to name specific agreements but said the company is working with neoclouds and infrastructure providers smaller than the hyperscalers. Hyperscalers are an ideal customer profile, he said, but no firm agreements are in place yet. "Obviously, they're the largest consumers of power. They're the ones that we can make the biggest impact with, so that's where we'd like to go," he said.
For the Defense Department, Petra's fuel cells are being tested as auxiliary power units for land vehicles, providing electricity for onboard equipment when the main engine is off. The product has not yet been deployed on a live vehicle; the government is still deciding whether to move forward. The company has received nearly $9 million in DoD contracts, according to Goodman.
Petra Power employs about 15 people and was selected for this year's TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200.