Retired Jet Engines Find a New Role Powering AI Data Centers

(Technology & Energy)

Reuters reported Monday that companies scrambling to power new data centers are looking for secondhand gas turbines, bringing idle equipment back into service and converting retired jet engines into power generators. One energy analyst told Reuters that U.S. buyers discussing new turbine deliveries are already looking at 2030 or 2031.

The engineering idea is simple. In a plane, the engine produces thrust. On the ground, a turbine based on the same technology can spin a generator. In April, U.S. AI infrastructure company Crusoe ordered 13 generators based on aircraft engine designs, with a combined capacity of 650 megawatts, for upcoming data center projects.

The pressure is showing up on public grids, too. On Monday, Norway’s grid operator, Statnett, temporarily stopped reserving new grid capacity for data centers, citing the need to keep the power system stable. It said data center projects already in the queue were seeking 9,100 megawatts of capacity.

For AI companies racing to open new data centers, the practical question is how soon they can switch them on. A retired jet engine is one way to shorten the wait. And for grid operators, the rush raises a harder question: who gets the next available connection?