Rolls-Royce has invested US$75m (£59m) to expand its engine manufacturing facility in Aiken, South Carolina, boosting its US production capabilities for its mtu Series 4000 engines.
The expansion will increase machining capacity and enlarge the site’s footprint, creating 60 new full-time jobs and bringing the total workforce at the facility to 434.
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The project has received support from the South Carolina Coordinating Council for Economic Development, which has approved job development credits linked to the initiative.
This latest investment follows a US$24m expansion announced earlier this year at the company’s Mankato, Minnesota facility, which is expected to add 100 jobs to Rolls-Royce’s Power Systems division in the US
Rolls-Royce’s increased focus on US-based manufacturing comes amid growing demand for mission-critical backup power systems, driven by the rapid expansion of data centres and rising pressure on the national electricity grid.
Sales of power generation products for the data centre market grew by nearly 50% last year, and industry analysts estimate that up to US$1tn could be spent globally on AI-related data centre infrastructure in the coming years.
The mtu Series 4000 engines produced in Aiken are used in high-power backup generators, which are assembled at the Mankato facility.
Currently, most engine components are machined in Germany, but the new investment will enable greater localisation of production, with additional components being machined directly in the US to meet surging demand.
The expansion in Aiken will be implemented in two phases. Phase one, beginning construction in the first quarter of 2026, will add 37,000ft² to the existing site.
A potential second phase could increase the expansion to 60,000ft². Production from the expanded facility is scheduled to commence in July 2027.
The Aiken site houses advanced production lines, an engine testing facility, office and R&D space, a remanufacturing centre, and four engine test stands.
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