Old airliner engines are now helping train Grok. xAI has installed eight converted jet-engine turbines in Mississippi to help power its Colossus 2 data center in Memphis, the New York Times reported Tuesday, citing state permits and satellite imagery, according to TechCrunch.
The units come from ProEnergy, which rebuilds a GE engine commonly found on Boeing jets to burn natural gas. Tom's Hardware reports the permits allow a 25% higher limit for volatile organic compounds, and that environmentalists have raised concerns over carbon monoxide emissions.
The appeal for AI builders is speed. «It's all about getting power as fast as possible,» Rystad Energy analyst Audun Martinsen told the Times, saying jet-powered units can have a data center running in 24 months. TechCrunch notes that hooking up 100 megawatts to the grid in Northern Virginia takes about seven years, according to the International Energy Agency.
xAI is not alone. OpenAI followed with gas turbines at its first Stargate site in Abilene, Texas, where builder Crusoe ordered 13 of ProEnergy's converted units in April, TechCrunch reports.
