Wartsila CEO sees boost from Trump Datacenter Push

The CEO of the Finnish energy company said that a push to have U.S. datacentres use their own power would boost the demand for Wartsila’s environmentally friendly products and?help support a "double digit" increase in the hiring of service staff over the next 2 years.

The White House announced on Wednesday that it will meet with technology companies such as Microsoft and Amazon on March 4, to discuss a plan for protecting consumers from rising energy costs linked to the surge in demand?for AI-focused, datacenters.

This issue has become a hot topic in the United States ahead of mid-term elections this year.

Hakan Agnevall stated that while demand for Wartsila's datacentre engines was high, the company expects to increase its "delivery capacity" by 80% in 2028. The U.S. move would also provide an additional boost for their more energy and water efficient products.

Agnevall said, "We've already contracted for 1.2 gigawatts for datacentres," recalling "one specific situation where this was a key factor in choosing our technology".

To avoid overloading the electrical grid datacentres are increasingly using gas or diesel generators. However, some of them can consume a large amount of water and fuel to stay cool.

The company claims that its engine technology consumes "up to 2000 times less water" compared to similar gas turbines from rivals. Its engines also produce lower emissions and can reduce fuel costs by up 20-35%.

The Finnish company, which sells engines, among other things, to the marine industry missed its fourth-quarter forecasts in February but said that datacentres was a bright spot.

Around half of the world's datacentres are located in the U.S.

Agnevall?said that around half of its revenues come from servicing engines?once they're installed. It has about 1,000 U.S. based staff. This figure could grow by double digits over the next two-years.

Agnevall called for more vocational training in the country to?ensure that there is enough staff.

Agnevall stated that "everyone is looking for this type of talent." There is a high demand... for this type of talent in the U.S. (but) supply has been limited, at least so far. "We need more vocational education in the U.S."

(source: Reuters)