The expansion will support a growing need for backup and prime power for data centres globally, the company says
Caterpillar has broken ground on a major expansion at its large engine facility in the United States.
The company says this large, multi-year capital investment at the Lafayette facility will increase capacity for both new engines and aftermarket parts.
A new building on the Lafayette campus will allow the company to expand its ability to build and test new engines and genset packages and to provide aftermarket components by expanding the campus’ footprint, refurbishing equipment and investing in additional equipment, Cat adds.
“We’re excited for the opportunity to further invest in our Lafayette Engine Center to continue to deliver for our customers,” says Bart Myers, Caterpillar senior vice president of Large Power Systems, who has responsibility for the Lafayette campus.
“We are grateful to the State of Indiana and the city of Lafayette for their support as we make this investment to ensure adequate capacity while enhancing safety for our employees.”
This expansion, the largest investment in Lafayette since the facility opened in 1982, will support a growing need for backup and prime power for data centres globally, driven in part by cloud computing and generative artificial intelligence.
“The success of the Lafayette Engine Center is rooted in our people, our commitment to safety and our dedication to technical innovation and continuous improvement in the interest of customers’ business success,” adds Myers.
The expansion project will also result in 100 new jobs on the Lafayette campus.