Eaton and Siemens Energy announced a partnership to develop data centers with integrated on-site power generation and standardized modular systems. The collaboration aims to meet the increasing demand for AI and cloud computing by enabling faster data center construction.
The approach allows simultaneous construction of data centers and on-site power generation, incorporating grid connections and renewable energy integration to comply with regional regulations. This provides data center owners and developers with options for building and operating new facilities independent of traditional grid power.Siemens Energy’s modular power plant design generates 500 megawatts of electricity using SGT-800 gas turbines, with redundancy and battery storage systems. The plant’s size can be scaled, and it has the potential for carbon-neutral operation with hydrogen, depending on availability and sustainability goals. An optional emission-free clean air grid connection can be installed during construction or as a retrofit, allowing data centers to provide grid services.
Eaton will supply electrical components, including medium and low voltage switchgear, UPS, busways, structural support, racks, containment systems, engineering services, and software to support IT loads from the medium-voltage grid to the chip. The company’s skidded and modular designs aim to streamline construction and commissioning.
Cyril Brisson, global data center segment leader at Eaton, stated that the approach offers flexibility in energy source selection and reduces construction time, enabling rapid deployment centers wherever land, gas, and fiber are available. Andreas Fischer, global head of sales for Siemens Energy’s Gas Services, noted that the power plant eliminates the need for diesel backup generators, cuts CO2 emissions by approximately 50%, and can reduce time-to-market by up to two years.
The partnership was formalized through an agreement signed by Eaton and Siemens Energy leaders, including Heath Smithson, president and COO of Eaton’s Electrical Sector; Paulo Ruiz, CEO of Eaton; Vanessa Bach, senior vice president of distributed gas services at Siemens Energy; and Thomas Frank, global head of markets for gas services at Siemens Energy.
