xAI Powers Colossus 2 with Repurposed Jet Engines to Bypass US Grid Delays
According to The New York Times, xAI has installed eight converted aircraft engines in Mississippi to provide off-grid power for its Colossus 2 data center, addressing grid connection bottlenecks.
US technology companies are increasingly turning to engines from retired aircraft to power new AI data centers as quickly as possible, bypassing time-consuming grid connections, according to a report by German tech outlet heise online citing The New York Times.
The report states that xAI, the artificial intelligence subsidiary of Elon Musk's SpaceX, has installed eight converted aircraft engines in Mississippi to supply power to its Colossus 2 data center near Memphis, Tennessee. The New York Times confirmed this situation through official documents and satellite imagery.
This 'creative' solution stems from growing power bottlenecks in the expansion of US AI infrastructure. While these modified engines are less efficient than standard gas turbines and more environmentally harmful, they significantly reduce deployment times. According to ProEnergy, a company specializing in such conversions, each Boeing 747 turbine can deliver approximately 50 megawatts of power.
A January report by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) noted that engines from retired military aircraft at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona could theoretically generate up to 40,000 megawatts, exceeding the total output of all power plants in that state. As demand for old aircraft components surges, aircraft graveyards are becoming new resource hotspots.