Wärtsilä Study Says Flexible Engines Could Power Data Centers
A Wärtsilä study estimates off-grid data centers powered by flexible engines could save EUR 196 billion over 20 years compared with combined-cycle gas turbines.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Data Centers
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Wärtsilä has published a study titled "Unlock power. Unleash growth: How data centres can create tomorrow's power system flexibility," modeling 55 GW of off-grid data centre demand by 2035. The study argues flexible engines could deliver that capacity more cheaply and with far less water and land than CCGT alternatives.
Why it matters
Global data centre capacity is projected to almost triple by 2035, and onsite power lets developers avoid lengthy grid connection queues. The findings point to how data centre demand could shape investment in power system flexibility across Europe and beyond.
The modelled 55 GW of off-grid demand would need less generating equipment and battery storage to meet the same load when flexible engines are used. Savings figures depend on the scenario's capacity assumptions, which the study does not validate against actual deployments.
The players
Wärtsilä
A Finnish multinational engineering company that makes power generation engines and energy storage systems, and that published the study.
BloombergNEF
Bloomberg New Energy Finance, a research provider whose data centre outlooks were used as third-party forecasts in the scenario.
The details
Flexible engines can provide reliable backup power for data centres connected to the grid and help balance wind and solar output as those facilities connect. The study also estimates recovered waste heat could meet around 10% of European space heating demand, creating EUR 180 billion in net economic value over 20 years.
Timeline
2035: Global off-grid data centre capacity reaches 55 GW in the study's scenario.
Over the next 20 years: Projected period for the EUR 196 billion savings estimate.
Season Trajectory
The study frames data centres as a force shaping how power systems add flexibility, a shift away from the CCGT-centred model. It argues that pairing this demand with flexible balancing could make a 100% renewable energy future cheaper and lower in emissions.
For people using data-centre-hosted services, the study's findings point to how facilities might be powered and cooled in the future. The savings and water figures are modelled projections and do not change current service costs or availability.
The takeaway
Power planning for data centres may increasingly be tied to grid flexibility and waste heat reuse rather than to conventional gas plants alone. Readers tracking the sector should watch whether real deployments match the scenario's capacity assumptions.
Further reading
For related coverage, see our Data Centers section on how facilities are powered and cooled.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Green Building Africa.
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