Data center debut for Wärtsilä 34SG engine

Wärtsilä Corp. said it has received an order to supply 412 MW of engine power to support EdgeConneX’s hyperscale data center project in Ashville, Ohio, United States. The project includes 40 Wärtsilä 34SG (spark gas) engines. This order brings Wärtsilä’s total engine capacity sold into the U.S. data center market to over 1.6 GW. The order was booked as intake by Wärtsilä in Q2 2026.

(Photo: Wärtsilä)

The Finnish company said the latest order marks the first use of the 34SG model engine in a data center application. Based on Wärtsilä 32 engine, which has a track record going back to the mid-1990s, the 34SG features a power output range from 5.6 to 9.8 MW and is available in 12V, 16V and 20V cylinder configurations. It is a four-stroke, spark-ignited, lean-burn gas engine generating set. 

Wärtsilä said the model’s modular engine technology offers high efficiency, proven reliability, low water consumption, and strong performance in high-temperature environments. These qualities make it well-suited for AI-driven and high-performance data center applications. Its modular design accommodates data center developers looking for power solutions that can be deployed in modular blocks, scaling up to 500MW.

“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, 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 their infrastructure. The customer chose Wärtsilä for its proven reliability, rapid deployment, and strong operational efficiency across diverse operating conditions.”

The power plant will provide highly flexible, primary power, enabling the data center to operate off-grid and avoid long interconnection delays common to the U.S. market. Equipment deliveries are scheduled to align with an anticipated commercial operation date of early 2028.

The Ohio data center project will cover 600 acres of farm land with expected completion by 2027. This is Wärtsilä’s fourth data center-related order in the United States.