Finnish power equipment manufacturer Wärtsilä has signed a deal to supply 24 gas engines for a 429MW US power plant serving a data center, owned and operated by an undisclosed investor-owned utility.

In addition, Volvo Penta has launched a new natural gas engine designed for the data center market.

The order, which was signed in Q1 2026, will utilize Wärtsilä’s 50SG engines. The 50SG engines have a capacity of approximately 18.3MW and, according to the company, are designed for fast-start operation, high efficiency, and flexible grid support.

“The extreme surge in data center growth requires reliable electricity, creating an urgent need for increased grid capacity across the US,” said Risto Paldanius, VP, Americas at Wärtsilä Energy.

The plant is scheduled to begin commercial operations in late 2028 and early 2029.

This is not Wärtsilä’s first foray into the data center market. In November, the firm signed a deal with an unnamed data center developer to deliver 507MW of natural gas-powered generators for its new data center site in the US.

Before this, it partnered with critical power firm AVK and Rolls-Royce Power Systems in Ireland to develop a microgrid system to power a data center. Under the agreement, AVK designed and installed on-site natural gas power generation, with Wärtsilä providing the engineered equipment and maintenance support.

Based out of Helsinki, Finland, Wärtsilä is one of Europe’s largest power systems providers. The company has a global footprint of around 79GW of power capacity, with 6GW within the US market.

Volvo launches gas engine for data center market

Swedish industrial engine manufacturer Volvo Penta has launched a new natural gas engine designed for the data center market.

Designed as a gas counterpart to the company’s D17 genset engine, the 17-liter, 6-cylinder G17 can operate on both pipeline-quality natural gas and renewable natural gas. It is intended to provide lower-emission backup and prime power.

“The energy transition isn’t one-size-fits-all. It requires multiple technologies and fuel pathways working in parallel,” said Kristian Vekas, product manager for Industrial Power Generation at Volvo Penta. “The G17 expands our power generation portfolio with a gas option engineered to meet rising global demand for dependable, lower-emission solutions that are backed by the strength of the Volvo Group and our global support network. It reflects our commitment to providing customers with fit-for-purpose solutions to support their energy objectives as the landscape continues to evolve.”

The G17 delivers approximately 450kWe and is designed for compact installations, making it suitable for space-constrained environments such as data centers. In addition, the company claims that its ability to connect directly to existing gas infrastructure eliminates the need for additional fuel conditioning systems.

“The G17 is engineered to deliver lower emissions without trade-offs,” Vekas said. “Its flexible fuel capability helps reduce carbon intensity while maintaining the power density, responsiveness, and durability customers expect from Volvo Penta’s heavy-duty platform.”

Volvo Penta said the G17 can be integrated into modular energy systems that combine internal combustion engines with renewable fuels and battery storage.