Rolls-Royce to invest in energy start-up Kowry Energy and expand mtu US Aiken plant

Rolls-Royce is investing in Berlin-based start-up Kowry Energy, a provider of sustainable and decentralized energy systems particularly active in Africa by supporting the sustainable expansion of energy infrastructure in Sub-Saharan part of the continent. The company’s focus is on the capability to combine renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic and battery storage systems.

In cooperation with local independent power providers and operators, Kowry Energy will supply energy solutions using photovoltaic systems and battery storage for demand of up to 1MW. This minimizes the use of fossil fuels and makes optimal use of the climatic conditions in Africa.

The words from Rolls-Royce and Kowry Energy

«The African market for decentralized energy supply offers great potential. The geographical conditions provide an opportunity to build a climate-friendly, local power supply for industrial and community customers that operates with minimum use of fossil fuels. As a young company, Kowry Energy can adapt to the realities of the fast-growing African energy market», said Rolls-Royce Power Systems CFO Louise Öfverström.

«We believe that solving the climate challenge facing our planet will only succeed with the inclusion of the 600 million people of Sub-Saharan Africa who are living without energy today. This requires innovative business-models that enable sustainable energy access with scale and speed. With a scale-based business model and Rolls-Royce Power Systems as our investor we are confident that Kowry Energy will achieve this», explained Kowry Energy founder Ndiarka Mbodji.

Expanding mtu’s facility in Aiken, in South Carolina

Rolls-Royce also announced a significant investment (17.4 million US dollars) aimed at expanding mtu’s facility in Aiken, in South Carolina. The planned expansion project will provide dedicated and streamlined remanufacturing and overhaul operations to support growth based on customer demand.

The new center will bring currently outsourced workshop and warehouse operations in-house and expand them to provide remanufacturing of mtu Series 2000 and 4000 engines and components, the overhaul of mtu brand and customer owned engines, plus internal and external rework services to help customers and distributors fine-tune maintenance and performance metrics.

Operations expected to begin in early 2023

«Investing in a remanufacturing and overhaul center in the United States is the next milestone in implementing our global strategy to optimize the value of our installed base, with regional centers and supporting workshops offering the best support for our customers», said Otto Preiss, Chief Operating Officer at Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

Since its opening in the fall of 2010, the mtu Aiken Plant has been the site of continuous innovation, investment, and expansion. What began with the production of Series 2000 and Series 4000 engines, has grown to include the assembly of military engines, the machining of parts and even the production of energy through its solar field and microgrid. With an onsite R&D center and now a new remanufacturing and overhaul center, the mtu Aiken Plant covers the full circle of life for an mtu engine. Construction of the new center is scheduled to begin later this year, with operations expected to begin in early 2023.