Recently, Cummins announced in North America that its power business has been selected to supply a battery energy storage system (BESS) for a large-scale data center project by a leading U.S. internet company. This solution will help the client address power fluctuations caused by AI workloads, enhancing overall power resilience and operational continuity.
This project marks Cummins' largest BESS deployment to date, representing a significant milestone in its energy storage business and demonstrating the company's ongoing commitment to delivering reliable, sustainable energy solutions for the data center market.
Jenny Bush, President of Cummins Power Systems, said: "As data center capacity demands continue to grow, Cummins offers a comprehensive portfolio of power solutions, from diesel backup power and natural gas primary power to BESS and integrated microgrid solutions, providing diverse support to our customers. This project not only reflects customer confidence in Cummins' innovative energy solutions and large-scale delivery capabilities, but also reaffirms our dedication to helping clients build reliable, resilient, and increasingly sustainable power infrastructure."
From Power Generation to Energy Storage: Building a Complete Data Center Power Ecosystem
For years, Cummins has been recognized in the data center market for its highly reliable generator set solutions. With the rise of the AI era, data centers now require rapid and smooth load balancing to improve power quality and system reliability. Today, Cummins is expanding into energy storage, microgrids, and multi-energy integration solutions to deliver more flexible and intelligent energy architectures for its customers.
In this project, the BESS will serve as a key component of the data center's power architecture. Leveraging millisecond-level fast charging and discharging capabilities, the storage system will:
- Mitigate transient power fluctuations caused by AI workloads
- Reduce peak power demand
- Improve power quality
- Enhance system power resilience
- Optimize grid connection capabilities
For data center developers, energy storage systems are evolving from optional configurations to strategic infrastructure. As grid capacity tightens, interconnection timelines lengthen, and energy costs rise, BESS not only accelerates project deployment but also significantly improves overall energy efficiency and operational flexibility.
Building a Data Center Energy Storage Platform for the AI Era
Cummins' BESS is specifically designed for hyperscale data centers and AI-driven campus applications, featuring:
- Tailored design for hyperscale workloads to ensure stable and reliable operation
- Flexible modular architecture compatible with various power conversion systems (PCS) and energy management systems (EMS)
- Support for bridge-to-grid applications, integrable with diesel and natural gas generators
- 5 MWh rated capacity
- Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery technology
- Liquid-cooled thermal management system
- Compliance with international standards including UL 9540A, UL 9540, UL 1973, NFPA 855, NFPA 68, IEEE 1547, and UL 1741 SA/SB
From Power Equipment to Energy Ecosystem
Leveraging over 100 years of expertise in power generation technology, Cummins' BESS solutions go beyond mere storage equipment-they are essential tools enabling developers to build high-resilience energy ecosystems, supporting faster deployment and more reliable operations for hyperscale and AI-driven data center campuses.
Jenny Bush, President of Cummins Power Systems, added:" The future of data centers depends on finding smarter and more efficient ways to deploy and manage power. BESS is rapidly becoming a key component of modern data center power strategies. From bridging grid applications and peak load management to building long-term energy resilience, Cummins provides data center operators with greater flexibility to deploy, optimize, and scale their future power infrastructure."