Technology company Wärtsilä has secured an order to supply flexible engines totalling 429MW for a US power plant, supporting the country’s increasing data centre needs.

The investor-owned utility's facility will receive 24 Wärtsilä 50SG engines, with the contract booked in the first quarter of 2026.

The Wärtsilä 50SG engine is said to provide high efficiency within a compact footprint and is designed for both primary power and balancing requirements.

Its rapid start-up ability allows it to react quickly to changes in power demand, whether these stem from varying data centre loads or fluctuating renewable generation.

Delivery of the engines has been scheduled to enable commercial operations at the site by late 2028 and early 2029.

The engines are designed to run on sustainable fuels. Wärtsilä has a total installed power plant capacity of 79GW and more than 130 energy storage systems across 180 countries, with more than 30% of its active installations under service agreements.

Wärtsilä Energy Americas vice-president Risto Paldanius said: “The extreme surge in data centre growth requires reliable electricity, creating an urgent need for increased grid capacity across the US. Wärtsilä’s flexible engine technology enables fast response to fluctuating demand and strengthens overall system resilience.”

Wärtsilä employs a workforce of 18,300 professionals in more than 230 locations spanning 77 countries. In 2024, the company recorded net sales of €6.4bn ($7.9bn).

It delivers solutions that include optimisation technology, energy storage, flexible engine power plants and services covering the entire life cycle of installations.

In November 2025, Wärtsilä secured a contract to supply 27 natural gas-fired engines to provide continuous primary power for a large data centre under construction in the US. The 507MW on-site power plant will be equipped with Wärtsilä 50SG engines and is scheduled for equipment delivery in 2027.