Petra Power is pitching solid oxide fuel cells as a more efficient and lower-cost alternative for powering data centers and large vehicles. The company, founded in 2017, sells ceramic devices that convert fuel such as natural gas into electricity without burning it. Petra markets the technology as a more environmentally friendly option for two markets it is targeting: data centers and the Department of Defense.
Aaron Goodman, Petra's founder, said the product offers significantly lower fuel costs and emissions than traditional power sources while taking up less physical space. He attributed the savings to the way fuel cells generate electricity compared with combustion. Burning fuel produces explosions that generate heat, which produces motion, which powers an electromotive force that eventually yields electricity, he said, a chain of steps that each carry losses. Fuel cells instead strip electrons directly from the fuel to create electricity, a single step that Goodman described as loss-free in theory and therefore much more efficient. Companies running on fuel cells could save substantially on fuel, he said.
On the customer side, Petra is working with neoclouds and other infrastructure providers that sit a few steps below the hyperscaler crowd, though Goodman declined to disclose specific agreements. The company aims for a first deployment with those customers in 2028 and full-scale production in 2029. Hyperscalers remain an ideal customer profile and Petra talks with them frequently, Goodman said, but nothing firm is in place yet. He said hyperscalers are the largest power consumers and the segment where Petra could have the biggest impact.
The government side of the business is also still developing. The concept calls for Petra's fuel cells to supply auxiliary power for land vehicles, providing electricity for onboard equipment when the main engine is off. Goodman clarified that the product has not deployed on a live vehicle and is in the testing phase, during which the government is deciding whether to proceed. Petra has received nearly $9 million in contracts from the Defense Department so far.
Petra remains a small operation of about 15 people, according to Goodman, and the company is growing. The hope is to scale the defense work significantly in the coming years. Petra Power was also selected for this year's TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200, a group of 200 startups chosen for the program.
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