Technology group Wärtsilä and energy solutions business AVK-SEG have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at meeting data centres’ unique power requirements. The agreement was signed in May 2024.

Data centres are essential in ensuring businesses and organisations can store, process, and manage their data and operations securely and efficiently. To be efficient, data centres require a reliable and uninterrupted electricity supply. In many cases, grid connections are unable to provide the necessary level of reliability, meaning that on-site power generation becomes essential.

“Combining AVK’s 30-year track record in power system design for data centres and Wärtsilä’s leading expertise in designing and manufacturing high-efficiency medium-speed engines, we can ensure a reliable power supply for these critical operations,” says Kenneth Engblom, Vice President, Africa & Europe at Wärtsilä Energy.

Under the terms of the agreement, AVK will carry out the design and installation of on-site power generation, which is used as the primary power source for data centres. Wärtsilä will provide the engineered equipment and maintenance support. The main focus of the combined approach will be the growing European data centre market. Power requirements are driven largely by generative AI, which can require a lot more power per query than traditional search.

“The partnership is very exciting not only for AVK and Wärtsilä but for the market as well. We are seeing increasing demand for alternative power solutions for grid-constrained data centres. Wärtsilä’s track record in deploying technology for various applications and AVK’s position in the data centre market make a really exciting prospect moving forward. AVK is the largest and fastest-growing supplier of power solutions for data centres in the UK and Europe,” comments Ben Pritchard, CEO, AVK.

Wärtsilä and AVK are currently executing two energy centre projects in Ireland. Both companies are committed to solutions which enhance decarbonisation, and Wärtsilä’s engines are developed to be ready for sustainable fuels as they become available.