Cummins’ Daventry, UK site produces 10,000th gen set

Daventry team celebrates production milestone (Photo: Cummins)

The Cummins Power Systems facility in Daventry, UK has produced its 10,000th gen set.

The unit which achieved the landmark figure was a high-performance QSK95-series model. It will go to a European data center for delivery of standby power.

To celebrate the gen set production milestone, the Daventry team gathered at the end of the assembly line and signed a commemorative banner.

For plant manager Roy Free, the moment was especially meaningful. “I was born and raised in Daventry, and I started here as a 16-year old on the Youth Training Scheme.

“This milestone reflects the deep connection between Cummins and the town, built over more than five decades,” he said.

What started out as a local success story has evolved into a cornerstone site for Cummins with global impact: powering data centers, mining operations and industrial facilities across several continents.

With more than 1,000 employees and a footprint of 260,000 square feet (24,000 square meters), Daventry produces high-horsepower engines with displacements ranging from 30 to 70 liters and outputs between 750 and 3,000 kW.

Key to Daventry’s importance within the Cummins global manufacturing network is its ability to build complete power generation systems.

These gen sets combine Cummins engines, alternators and custom control panels into complete units. The plant has been assembling these systems since 2017.

Investments are being made to expand and modernize the Daventry facility, including upgrades to engine block machining and assembly lines featuring advanced computer-controlled machinery. This key enhancement will enable Daventry to build the 95-liter QSK95 Cummins diesel engine alongside the QSK78, which has been produced at the plant since 2003.

The upgrades also support sustainability, improving manufacturing efficiency, reducing waste and positioning Daventry to support next-gen low-emission technologies.

The new block line building is expected to open in early 2027. The upgrades could more than double weekly engine production by 2028.

“We’re planning for up to 65 units a week, split between QSK78s and QSK95s,” said Free. “That flexibility is vital as we continue to grow in the data center market – a sector where we see strong, sustained demand well into the next decade.”