The engine of the Rolls-Royce aircraft is on display at the Hanover Messe Industrial Fair on March 31, 2025.
Ronnie Hartman | AFP | Getty Images
British Aerospace and Defense Company Rolls-Royce has announced that it will invest $75 million to expand its engine manufacturing facility in Aiken, South Carolina.
This investment will drive the power output of MTU Series 4000 diesel engines used in backup power systems in data centers and other critical infrastructures.
“The rise in investment will strengthen our ability to serve U.S. customers, particularly in the fast-growing US data center industry,” Adam Wood, managing director of power systems at U.S. Rolls-Royce, said in a press release Tuesday.
The company said the expansion will create 60 new jobs, increase capacity and strengthen the presence of Rolls-Royce’s US industry.
The movement also reflects the move beyond the traditional aerospace focus and the move towards the Rolls-Royce energy system.
Rolls-Royce said it will machine additional US MTU Series 4000 components as part of its investment. The company currently produces many components in Germany and sends them to the US as finished products.
“We are proud to help the United States grow in demand for trusted, domestically-built energy systems that enhance the independence and security of our country,” said North American CEO Adam Riddle.
This is the company’s second major announcement in two days.
According to Reuters, the UK and the Czech Republic announced a partnership on Monday to work together on a small modular reactor.
Rolls-Royce SMRS was able to export up to six nuclear reactors to the Czech Republic based on the transaction.
The South Carolina site is set up to be the hub for Rolls-Royce’s North American Power Systems strategy. The first phase of the expansion will begin in the first quarter of 2026, and production will begin in July 2027.
