Technology group Wärtsilä will supply 282MW of flexible engines to operate a new data center project in Ohio, USA. The onsite power facility, providing power directly to the data center, will operate with fifteen Wärtsilä 18V50SG engines running on natural gas. The order was booked by Wärtsilä in Q2 2025.

“Data center developers are facing increasing time-to-power challenges due to grid connection delays. Wärtsilä’s short lead time for engine manufacturing provides data center customers with faster power solutions than others. Plus, our modular engine design enables efficient construction and integration, allowing customers quick access to power,” comments Risto Paldanius, Vice President, Americas at Wärtsilä Energy. “Quick access to power combined with high reliability, fuel efficiency and exceptional heat resilience, which enables optimal engine operation under high temperatures, make Wärtsilä engines the ideal power supply for data centers.”

Data centers are the backbone of today’s digital economy, driving business enablement, innovation, economic growth, job creation, and bolstering national and cyber security. However, they face significant power challenges due to the limitations and inefficiencies of traditional supply grids, and without sufficient reliable power, data centers will struggle to support these critical business sectors.

In addition to delivering a consistent and reliable power supply, Wärtsilä’s technology features very low water consumption. Low water consumption is crucial for data centers to minimize environmental impact, reduce operational costs, and enhance resilience against water scarcity.

“Off-grid energy solutions, such as Wärtsilä engines, are not only seen as being attractive, but also as an essential answer to meeting power needs,” comments Anders Lindberg, President of Wärtsilä Energy and Executive Vice President at Wärtsilä. “Furthermore, the efficiency of our engines creates lower emission levels than competing technologies, while their flexibility allows for future integration of lower carbon fuels and renewables. These advantages support the next generation of AI and high-performance computing data centers in a truly sustainable way.”

The Wärtsilä equipment will be delivered in phases, starting late 2026 and continuing into 2027. With this project, Wärtsilä will exceed 6,000MW of total delivered capacity in the United States.