Rolls-Royce Backup Power for Colocation Data Centre

Smith Power Products has placed an order with Rolls-Royce to provide two 1,500kW mtu Kinetic PowerPacks (KPPs) for NOVVA Data Centers, builders of sustainable colocation in the USA. 

These two KPPs will offer backup power in the case of an emergency, at the company’s data centre in Colorado Springs. The Power Systems division of Rolls-Royce has provided more than 50MW of mtu emergency diesel gensets for NOVVA’s sites, through Smith Power Products.

Sustainable Kinetic PowerPacks for backup power solution

Kinetic PowerPacks are energy storage devices which harness kinetic energy, to generate and store electricity. One common method is using flywheels, rotating mechanical devices which maintain kinetic energy. When energy is required, the flywheel’s kinetic energy is converted back into electrical energy, as a result, they are used commonly in applications such as backup power supplies and grid energy storage, as well as data centres.

NOVVA Data Centers is passionate about conservation and sustainability, which led the company to choose a backup power system that would fit its vision. The battery-free design of these KPP’s can operate on hydrotreated vegetable oil and renewable diesel, which sits alongside NOVVA’s strong environmental approach. 

Unlike static UPS systems, the KPP is more progressive, as it uses stored kinetic energy from the flywheel to power the synchronous machine. This provides an instant response, until the engine comes online to take over the load. 

At the Rolls-Royce competence centre in Liege, Belgium, these KPPs will be manufactured. They will be assisted by a full-service maintenance contract, to ensure that the system performs at the highest level for its 20+ year lifecycle. The KPPs are scheduled to be commissioned in Q4 2024.

“The space and cost savings from the battery-free design of the KPP system were key considerations for NOVVA in deciding on this solution for an expansion at their Colorado Springs location,” said Nick Paolo, Business Development Manager, Smith Power Products. “We have already installed over 50MW of emergency standby power for NOVVA’s various locations based on mtu Series 4000 gensets, so we’re excited to demonstrate the same absolute reliability the KPP technology has to offer.”

Outstanding data centres and supply chains

Utah-based data centre company Novva has been recognised for its extraordinary work. The company won an award for being the Most Outstanding Data Centre in the state’s 2021 Most Outstanding Projects awards. The company’s Utah facility was chosen from 90 applicants and was one of 38 overall winners decided by a panel of five industry professionals. Novva was recognised for its technical build features, overall design elements and aesthetic. 

Benn Godfrey, Vice President Procurement at Rolls-Royce, leads billions of dollars worth of annual contract and sourcing projects for the company. Digital transformation has empowered Godfrey and his team to extract value far beyond the scope of procurement’s traditional transactional responsibilities. It is a future of increased digital agility, data and the maturity of AI and emerging sustainable technologies. 

“We have to take sustainability seriously across our supply chain and this again has to be a digitally enabled approach to have the right breadth and impact to be effective,” he says. 

Rolls-Royce’s sustainability programme includes a broad array of initiatives that further epitomise the procurement function’s digitally-enabled thinking. 

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