Wärtsilä Signs Two Natural Gas Supply Deals for Over 1.2GW of U.S. Data Center Capacity
April 24, 2026
Wärtsilä Signs Two Natural Gas Supply Deals for Over 1.2GW of U.S. Data Center Capacity
Finnish engine manufacturer Wärtsilä has secured two major natural gas supply agreements to power large-scale data center projects in Ohio and Texas, marking a significant push into the rapidly expanding data center energy market. The combined capacity of the two deals exceeds 1.2GW, underscoring the growing reliance on gas-fired power to meet the surging electricity demands of AI and cloud computing infrastructure.
In the first deal, Wärtsilä signed an agreement to supply 412MW of natural gas-powered engines to an undisclosed hyperscale data center project in Ohio. The order includes 40 of the company’s 34SG spark gas engines, representing Wärtsilä’s first-ever contract within the data center sector. The equipment is scheduled for delivery in 2028. According to the company, the 34SG engine is particularly well-suited for data centers due to its modular design and low water consumption, enabling fast and straightforward deployment.
“This project underscores the confidence data center developers place in Wärtsilä’s engine technology to deliver fast, flexible power at scale,” said Risto Paldanius, Vice President of Americas at Wärtsilä Energy. “As AI and cloud demand accelerate, operators need energy solutions that are efficient, resilient, and available on their timeline - not the grid’s. Wärtsilä provides that foundation, delivering dependable, high-performance power that scales as quickly as its infrastructure.”
In the second deal, Wärtsilä secured a 790MW supply agreement to power a data center facility currently under construction in Texas. The company will deliver 42 of its 50SG engines, which run on natural gas. This order was booked as intake in the second quarter of 2026. Wärtsilä’s equipment for the Texas project is also scheduled for delivery in 2028, with the plant expected to become fully operational by late 2029.
“Wärtsilä’s primary power solutions offer significant benefits to data center developers by providing continuous, reliable primary power while using significantly less water and fuel than traditional alternatives,” said Anders Lindberg, President of Wärtsilä Energy and Executive Vice President of Wärtsilä. “Also, our power solutions ramp up quickly and offer a dependable and sustainable foundation for delivering power availability, which is vital for AI and cloud operators. Our modular engine power plants allow easy capacity scale-ups, making them an ideal choice for the fast-growing data center market.”
The Texas contract marks Wärtsilä’s fifth data center-related order in the United States and its first in the state. Collectively, the company has now sold more than 2.4GW of power capacity for U.S. data centers, reflecting the accelerating trend of data center operators turning to on-site natural gas generation to bypass grid constraints and ensure energy reliability.
Source: datacenterdynamics
