How jet engines are powering data centers
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. In the battle for AI dominance, every engine of the economy is getting recruited into the fight—including jet engines. Jet engine leasing and repair company FTAI Aviation plans to start selling a modified version of the engine used in the Boeing 737 to power data centers this year.
Its shares are up roughly 42% since it announced the power turbine business, which Jefferies estimates could add $750 million of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization a year. That represents about 52% of the Ebitda that analysts polled by FactSet expected FTAI to bring in this year before it announced the power business. Others pursuing this conversion include private equity-backed ProEnergy, which sells natural gas turbines that are adapted from the same engine that powers the Boeing 747.
Aircraft startup Boom Supersonic in December said that it will start selling a modified version of its engine as a natural gas power turbine. AI data center startup Crusoe is its first customer and is expected to get its turbines in 2027. Jet engines are a natural fit.
Power equipment giants GE Vernova, Siemens Energy and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries already sell power turbines—known as aeroderivatives—that are modeled after these very jet engines. Aircraft engine companies such as GE Aerospace, Howmet Aerospace and Woodward also sell land-based aeroderivative turbines or components. Yet many of these incumbents have yearslong wait lists for power turbines, opening up an opportunity for new market participants.
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