Highlights

  • Sprintex fuel cell compressors are in active trials and sample Supply programs with three global fuel cell developers.
  • The programs involve Intelligent Energy in the UK, K-Fuel Cell in South Korea and Doosan Mobility Innovation in South Korea.
  • The trials are targeting stationary, micro-grid and data centre power applications.
  • K-Fuel Cell is trialling Sprintex compressors on data centre Solid Oxide Fuel Cell platforms of up to 50 kW stacks with multi-stack scalability.
  • Doosan Mobility Innovation is receiving samples for 50 kW fuel cell systems with data centre applications.
  • Sprintex said data centre electricity consumption is projected to rise from 415 TWh in 2024 to around 945 TWh by 2030.

Sprintex Ltd (ASX:SIX) has provided an update on the progress of its fuel cell compressor technology, with the company confirming that its compressors are now involved in active trials and sample supply programs targeting data centre power applications across the UK and South Korea.

Sprintex shares were trading at AUD 0.056 during the afternoon session on 9 June 2026, down AUD 0.004 or 6.67% for the day. Despite the daily decline, the stock remained up 40.00% over the past year.

Company Overview

Sprintex is an Australian engineering and Clean Technology company focused on the development and manufacture of ultra-high-speed electric motors and clean air compressor systems. The company’s products are designed for use across several industrial and clean energy applications, including wastewater treatment, aquaculture, mechanical vapour recompression and Hydrogen fuel cell systems.

In recent years, Sprintex has directed part of its development activity toward fuel cell compressor technology. The company said it began focused work on fuel cell compressors in 2021 and has spent more than four years developing platforms suited to both stationary and mobility fuel cell applications.

Its fuel cell compressors are designed to provide high-speed, oil-free and energy-efficient air supply, which is a key requirement within fuel cell systems. The company is now positioning this technology for potential use in power systems that may support data centres, including facilities linked to artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Fuel Cell Compressors Enter Active Trial Programs

The central update from Sprintex is that its fuel cell compressors are now involved in active trials and sample supply programs with three fuel cell developers.

The first program is with Intelligent Energy in the UK. These trials are focused on stationary and micro-grid fuel cell systems, including possible data centre backup power applications.

The second program is with K-Fuel Cell in South Korea. Sprintex said these trials relate to data centre Solid Oxide Fuel Cell platforms, including systems using stacks of up to 50 kW with multi-stack scalability.

The third program involves Doosan Mobility Innovation in South Korea, where Sprintex is supplying samples for 50 kW fuel cell systems with data centre applications.

The company clarified that these trials and sample programs are not commercial production arrangements at this stage. Any future sales, Revenue or material contracts would depend on successful technical evaluation, customer qualification, commercial negotiations and the execution of binding agreements where applicable.

Data Centre Power Demand Creates New Market Focus

Sprintex’s update is positioned against the growing power requirements of data centres, particularly those supporting artificial intelligence workloads and Cloud Computing infrastructure.

Data centres require reliable power to operate computing systems, storage hardware, cooling equipment and specialised processors. The company noted that artificial intelligence workloads use large numbers of graphics processing units and other specialised computing systems, which increases both power density and reliability requirements.

According to Sprintex, this is creating demand not only for new data centre capacity but also for dependable on-site power solutions that can operate alongside existing grid supply or supplement it where required.

The company stated that traditional electricity grids in many regions are facing difficulty keeping pace with this demand, as new generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure can take several years to develop.

Sprintex also noted that planning authorities are increasingly requiring data centre developers to demonstrate reliable on-site power solutions as part of approval processes.

Fuel Cells Being Evaluated as On-Site Power Option

Sprintex said fuel cell systems, including hydrogen fuel cells and Solid Oxide Fuel Cell technologies, are being actively evaluated in situations where rapid deployment, high reliability and lower emissions are important.

While the company acknowledged that grid power remains the preferred option for most applications, it highlighted the role fuel cells may play where grid constraints exist or where facilities need additional reliable on-site generation.

Fuel cells can be used in stationary power systems and backup energy applications. In data centre settings, they may support operations where consistent power supply is required.

The company said fuel cell systems offer higher efficiency than diesel generators and produce clean exhaust, which can enable improved waste heat recovery from both the fuel cell and data centre cooling systems. This may help improve overall energy efficiency and offset some fuel production and storage costs.

Why Compressors Matter in Fuel Cell Systems

Sprintex’s role in this market is not as a fuel cell system developer, but as a supplier of compressor technology used inside fuel cell systems.

A fuel cell generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction involving fuel, such as hydrogen, and oxygen. In this process, the fuel cell stack requires a consistent and regulated supply of air to operate efficiently.

A fuel cell compressor supplies and regulates the oxygen flow into the fuel cell stack at the required pressure and efficiency. The compressor’s performance can affect overall system efficiency, power output and durability.

Sprintex said its fuel cell compressors are designed to deliver high-speed and oil-free air supply while supporting energy-efficient operation. These characteristics are particularly relevant in data centre power systems, where reliability, efficiency and heat management are central operating considerations.

Large Data Centres Could Require Multiple Fuel Cell Stacks

One of the figures highlighted in the announcement relates to the scale of potential data centre power requirements.

Sprintex stated that many hyperscale data centres now require tens to hundreds of megawatts of reliable power. The company noted that a single 100 MW data centre installation could require several hundred fuel cell stacks, depending on system configuration and individual stack ratings of 50 kW to 325 kW.

Each fuel cell stack requires a dedicated compressor. This means that larger fuel cell-based power installations could require a sizeable number of compressor units.

Sprintex said even modest adoption of fuel cell technology in the data centre power market could represent a substantial addressable opportunity for high-performance components such as its fuel cell compressors.

Market Demand Expected to Rise Through 2030

Sprintex also referenced forecasts indicating that global data centre electricity consumption could increase from 415 TWh in 2024 to around 945 TWh by 2030.

The company also stated that new Investment among Australia’s largest data centre operators is expected to exceed AUD 26 billion by 2030.

These figures underline why the company is highlighting data centre power as a growing area of focus. As cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure expand, the demand for reliable and efficient power solutions is expected to remain a key issue for data centre developers and operators.

Sprintex said this trend creates a near-term opportunity for the company as fuel cell developers evaluate technologies for stationary and backup power systems.

Technology Developed Over Four Years

The company said its compressor platforms have been developed over more than four years to meet the performance requirements of fuel cell developers.

Sprintex’s compressors offer high power density, compact oil-free designs and efficiency of up to 82%. The company said these qualities are relevant across both stationary and mobility fuel cell systems.

For data centre power applications, the key requirements include efficiency, reliability, compatibility with fuel cell system designs and support for heat recovery. Sprintex believes its compressor platforms are aligned with these requirements as customers evaluate fuel cell-based power systems.

The company continues to work with established developers in both stationary and mobility fuel cell sectors, with data centre power emerging as a common focus across its current trial partners.

Management Highlights AI Infrastructure Opportunity

Sprintex Managing Director and CEO Jay Upton said data centres have become critical infrastructure for artificial intelligence, with power grids unable to expand quickly enough to meet demand in some regions.

He said developers are increasingly required to provide their own reliable on-site power solutions to secure planning approval.

Management also noted that fuel cells can be deployed faster than new grid infrastructure, are more efficient than diesel generators and enable improved waste heat recovery due to their clean exhaust profile.

According to Sprintex, its compressors play an important role in these systems, and the company is seeing interest from developers working on data centre applications.

What This Means for Investors

Sprintex’s latest announcement is focused on technology trials and sample supply rather than confirmed commercial production orders.

The update places the company’s fuel cell compressor technology within the growing discussion around data centre power demand, artificial intelligence infrastructure and on-site energy systems.

The key point for investors is that Sprintex compressors are currently being evaluated by three fuel cell developers across the UK and South Korea for stationary, micro-grid and data centre-related applications.

However, the company made clear that future revenue opportunities remain dependent on technical success, customer qualification, commercial negotiations and binding agreements. Investors will likely watch for updates on trial outcomes, customer progress and any future commercial arrangements linked to fuel cell compressor supply.