Phinergy's aluminum-air generator scales up.
Our client Phinergy and the Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers have unveiled a scaled-up module of the Aluminum-Air Generator: zero-emission backup power for data centers, with aluminum as the fuel. D2Bridge supported the program with the enclosure design, system UI, large-scale system animation and system branding.
- Client
- Phinergy
- Milestone
- AAG Module tested and unveiled
- Module
- 72 kW · 1.4 MWh
- Next
- 500 kW · 10 MWh system, in assembly
- Our role
- Enclosure · System UI · Animation · Branding
Clean backup power, tested at scale.
On October 9, 2026, Phinergy ran its 72 kW / 1.4 MWh AAG Module at a partner's facility near Madison, Wisconsin, as part of the Net Zero Innovation Hub's validation program for data centers. Technical experts from Microsoft, Danfoss, Schneider Electric and Vertiv attended and agreed next steps toward validation and scale-up.
The Aluminum-Air Generator produces electricity from aluminum, which can be recycled, so it can deliver on-demand backup power without diesel, onsite emissions or noise. It is designed as a compact, lower-cost alternative to diesel generators for data centers and other critical sites, and can also ease grid demand during peak hours.
Phinergy was chosen for the program from more than 70 submissions. A full 500 kW / 10 MWh first-of-a-kind system is now being assembled. Read the announcement from the Net Zero Innovation Hub ↗.
Making new energy feel familiar.
A new kind of generator has to earn the trust of the people who will install, run and maintain it. We worked alongside Phinergy's team across four areas:
- Enclosure design. The generator's enclosures, shaped so a modular installation reads as one system.
- System UI. The interface operators use to see the state of the system and control it.
- System animation. Large-scale animation that explains how the generator works and how it fits into a data center.
- System branding. A clear visual identity for the generator across product, screens and communications.