Rolls-Royce Secures Emergency Power Contract for Kuwait International Airport

The Directorate General for Civil Aviation, in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Works, awarded Rolls-Royce a contract to deliver seven mtu backup-power generators at the Kuwait International Airport. The 20-cylinder Series 4000 DS 3600 diesel generators will be installed in Terminal 2, providing power supply for the catering building, the airport’s central energy infrastructure, and other facilities.

The diesel gensets can operate reliably under extreme climatic conditions, specifically designed for ambient temperatures of up to 55 °C. Limak is acting as the project’s primary developer and genset delivery is scheduled for early 2026, followed by commissioning, testing, and handover. “We are proud that our products ensure the stable operation of critical infrastructure at the airport—even in this region with its extreme environmental conditions,” said Salim El Banna, Country Sales Manager UAE, Bahrain, Iraq & Kuwait, Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

The Kuwait International Airport is undergoing significant expansion with the new Terminal 2 construction. Upon completion, the airport will be among the most modern aviation hubs in the Gulf region with an initial capacity of 25 million passengers per year—scalable up to 50 million—under the country’s national development strategy: Kuwait Vision 2035.

Currently, Rolls-Royce has deployed over 85,000 mtu emergency power systems in critical infrastructure globally, including airports, data centers, hospitals, industrial plants, and energy suppliers. The systems leverage both diesel and gas gensets, in addition to uninterruptible power systems, to ensure continuous power under extreme conditions. At major international airports, such as Frankfurt, Dubai, Madrid, Prague, Palma, and Hurghada, mtu gensets and combined heat-and-power systems have been operating reliably and powering terminals, baggage systems, and control centers.

Fast-Start Gensets

In early October 2025, Rolls-Royce announced that it will launch an updated mtu Series 20V4000 L64 engine for the 60-Hz market. With a new fast-start capability, the genset will deliver 2.8 MW in 45 seconds to power data centers and stabilize the grid. Compared to the previous model, performance has been increased by 10% and the genset does not require a gearbox, allowing data center operators to achieve notable space savings. Rolls-Royce’s fast-start engines can supply emergency power in data centers, but also continuous power in combination with diesel models.

Generating continuous power is desirable when the existing grid’s power is not sufficient to support a new data center coming online, and, with an independent gas power plant, operators may come online faster with increased energy security and revenue. Currently, the 50- and 60-Hz models are available with a fast-start capability of 120 seconds and maintain long lifecycles—up to 84,000 hours before overhaul.

Collaboration with Microsoft

In September 2025, Rolls-Royce Power Systems and Microsoft published a position paper evaluating hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) as a sustainable, alternative backup fuel for data centers in Singapore. The paper identifies and outlines several steps to full HVO adoption, in addition to other low-carbon fuels as replacements for fossil diesel in digital infrastructure.

Compared to fossil diesel, HVO can reduce lifecycle CO₂ emissions by up to 90%, adhering to Singapore’s Green Data Center Roadmap and 2050 net-zero targets. It is a high-quality, bio-based paraffinic fuel produced via waste, residual fats, and oils, applicable to current diesel generator infrastructure without technical modifications. HVO-approved systems offer an immediately deployable and decarbonized backup power generator.