The Rolls-Royce manufacturing facility in Graniteville will be expanding, the luxury auto giant announced Tuesday.
The company, headquartered in southern Germany, is investing some $75 million toward building additions to its engine plant at 660 Bettis Academy Road, a project poised to bring 60 more jobs there.
The Aiken County plant produces Rolls Royce’s mtu 4000 series of high-powered engines, which are used to power backup generators for hospitals, municipal buildings and even data centers such as those at Rolls Royce’s Manko, Minnesota facility. The company announced in June its plan to put $24 million toward expanding its Minnesota plant, adding 100 jobs to its U.S. Power Systems division.
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“The increased investment strengthens our ability to serve our U.S. customers – especially in the fast-growing American data center industry,” said Adam Wood, managing director for Rolls-Royce’s Power Systems division. “By increasing our machining capabilities in Aiken, we can supply more engines to Mankato, enabling us to deliver more gensets with shorter lead times. These investments reflect our commitment to supporting U.S. customers with reliable, locally produced solutions.”
The Graniteville facility began operations in 2010. In 2017 Rolls-Royce installed a 1.35 megawatt solar array along seven acres of its 395,000 square foot campus, bringing in enough power via its microgrid to supply the facility’s administration building.
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The first phase of construction, which is to add 37,000 square feet to the plant, is expected to start in the first quarter of 2026, in time for production to begin in 2027. A potential second phase of the expansion would add some 22,000 square feet.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
