Technology group Wärtsilä has secured a USD 333.4 million order to supply engines for a power plant supporting large-scale data center development in the United States, with the contract placed by Denver-based Liberty Energy, a leading U.S. energy services company.

The order is expected to be booked by Wärtsilä in the third quarter of 2026, with equipment deliveries to site scheduled to begin in 2029 and continue through 2030.

A Major Contract Targeting AI Infrastructure Demand

The order marks one of the more significant recent engine supply agreements in the data center power sector, reflecting the surging infrastructure requirements of artificial intelligence workloads.

AI-driven data center projects require reliable, flexible on-site power capacity that can be rapidly deployed to offer predictable performance and availability, according to Wärtsilä.

That capability is designed to help mitigate risks related to grid connection delays or constrained power availability, challenges that have become increasingly prominent as hyperscale computing facilities compete for limited grid access across the United States.

Liberty Energy, headquartered in Denver, placed the order as part of what its chief executive described as an integrated power platform for advanced computing environments.

Ron Gusek, Chief Executive Officer at Liberty Energy, said that AI data center growth is accelerating demand for critical next-generation on-site power infrastructure.

He added that Wärtsilä's proven engine technology strengthens Liberty Energy's integrated power platform, enhancing its ability to deliver reliable, high-efficiency power generation to meet the demanding requirements of advanced computing environments.

Wärtsilä 34SG Engines Selected for Natural Gas Operation

The engines specified for the project are Wärtsilä 34SG units, which run on natural gas. The platform has been proven to perform in demanding, high-temperature environments, according to Wärtsilä.

The 34SG engines are designed to deliver efficiency, reliability, and low water consumption for critical operations, attributes Wärtsilä identifies as particularly relevant to the needs of high-performance, AI-driven data centers.

A key feature of the selected technology is its modular design, which enables phased deployment in scalable blocks of up to 1 gigawatt and beyond.

This architecture allows developers to bring capacity online faster while keeping pace with rapidly growing AI-driven demand, Wärtsilä stated.

The modular approach also means that operators can expand their generating capacity incrementally as workloads evolve, rather than committing to a single large infrastructure build ahead of confirmed demand.

Speed of Deployment as a Competitive Differentiator

Wärtsilä's executives framed the order as evidence of the company's growing footprint in the data center power market, emphasizing that engine-based solutions carry specific advantages over alternatives in fast-moving project environments.

Risto Paldanius, Vice President for the Americas at Wärtsilä Energy, said the order reflects Wärtsilä's continued momentum in the data center sector and highlights its role in supplying large-scale engine-based power solutions for mission-critical applications.

Paldanius identified modularity, speed of deployment, reliability, and strong operational performance as the typical competitive advantages underpinning Wärtsilä's positioning.

He noted that engine-based solutions can offer delivery and execution advantages in fast-moving projects where time to power is critical.

For data center developers, that translates into faster time to power, reduced exposure to grid delays, and the ability to scale capacity in line with rapidly evolving AI workloads, as described in Wärtsilä's announcement.

Delivery Timeline and Project Scope

Equipment delivery to the project site is scheduled to begin in 2029 and continue through 2030. Wärtsilä did not disclose the specific location of the data center development or the total generating capacity of the planned power plant beyond noting that the 34SG platform's modular architecture supports scalable blocks of up to 1 gigawatt and beyond.

The financial value of the contract, at USD 333.4 million, places it among the larger individual engine orders in Wärtsilä's recent history.

The company said the order is expected to be recorded in its third-quarter 2026 results.

Wärtsilä's Broader Energy Portfolio

Wärtsilä Energy, the division responsible for the order, positions itself as focused on the transition toward renewable energy while also providing flexible engine power plants capable of running on sustainable fuels.

The division reports a track record comprising 81 gigawatts of power plant capacity and more than 130 energy storage installations across 180 countries.

Approximately 35 percent of its operating installed base is under service agreements. Wärtsilä, as a group, employs approximately 17,900 professionals across 199 locations in 78 countries and reported net sales of USD 7.8 billion in 2025.

The company is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki and operates across both the marine and energy industries. The Liberty Energy agreement adds to a pattern of engine manufacturers and power equipment suppliers securing significant contracts as data center operators and developers seek to bypass grid interconnection queues that have grown substantially in length across major U.S. markets.

On-site generation using natural gas reciprocating engines has emerged as one approach to delivering power on commercially compressed timelines, particularly for projects that cannot wait years for utility-scale grid connections to be approved and built.