Rolls providing PowerPacks to Saudi facility

Rolls-Royce will supply 12 mtu Kinetic PowerPacks to King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia this summer. The systems, equipped with dynamically rotating kinetic energy accumulators, will be used to provide the university’s supercomputing facility and data center with clean, conditioned, uninterruptible power supplies, acting as the energy backbone.

Each mtu Kinetic PowerPack type KP5 has a power output of 1.6 MW, operates in medium voltage at 13.8kV, 60Hz, and is powered by an mtu diesel engine type 16V 4000 G74S. These uninterruptible power supply systems are produced in Liège, Belgium, are then fitted into custom-made enclosures in the United Arab Emirates, and finally installed on-site in Saudi Arabia. The systems are designed for humid ambient conditions and temperatures of up to 50° C. The scope of supply also includes medium-voltage switchgear and transformers as well as two control stations. The Rolls-Royce Power Systems team in the Middle East is expected to commission the turnkey plant at the end of 2021 and will be on hand to provide operational support for a further year, and remain available for long-term service support throughout the lifetime of the installation. mtu Kinetic PowerPacks will be installed in two groups of 6 systems each, with one available as a backup in each group. In the event of a power outage, the constantly rotating, heavy kinetic energy accumulator will drive the generator and bridge the few seconds until the diesel engine, which has started in the meantime, takes over.

Rolls-Royce will supply 12 mtu Kinetic PowerPacks to the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. The systems, equipped with dynamic rotating accumulators, will be used to provide clean, controlled and uninterrupted power to the university’s supercomputing facility and data center.

“We are delighted that such a renowned university as King Abdullah University for Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia has chosen us as a partner placing their confidence in our solutions, our expertise and our many years of experience. The choice underlines our recently expanded expertise in the field of dynamic uninterruptible power supplies and is a major success,” said Andreas Schell, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems. 

King Abdullah University for Science and Technology is a renowned high-tech seat of learning, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and one of the world’s best supercomputing installations. The previous supercomputer “Shaheen 2” is currently being replaced by the latest and most powerful supercomputing facility which will be used in research and development work to produce scientific findings.

Dynamic uninterruptible power supply systems have been part of the Rolls-Royce portfolio since the acquisition of Kinolt SA in July 2020. The company has already supplied several similar systems to the region, including Jeddah, Riyadh and Jubail in Saudi Arabia, as well as the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar.