Gas-Powered Data Center Calculator
Estimate the investment, timeline and payback of an on-site gas energy center for a data center. Select the region, capacity and site conditions: the calculator proposes a minimal configuration and calculates the key project indicators. Every assumption can be adjusted.
What gas generation for a data center means
A data center draws electricity not from the external grid but from its own energy center running on natural or associated petroleum gas. The gas is burned in an engine or a turbine that drives an electric generator. The heat of the exhaust and of the cooling system can be used for heating or to produce cooling for the server halls. The solution is used where the grid cannot provide the required capacity or a connection takes years, while a gas source is nearby.
Gas engine generators
Internal combustion engines running on gas and coupled to an electric generator. The capacity of one unit ranges from 0.25 to 10 MW.
- Electrical efficiency 35–45%: this share of the gas energy becomes electricity
- Modular: capacity is added in blocks of 1–2 MW
- Perform well at part load, but need regular servicing and oil changes
Gas turbines
Aeroderivative or industrial gas turbines from 1 to 100+ MW.
- 30–38% efficiency in simple cycle
- Compact, low vibration, less frequent servicing
- Lose output and efficiency in heat and at part load
Cogeneration and trigeneration
Cogeneration produces electricity and heat at the same time. Trigeneration also produces cooling with absorption chillers.
- Up to 80–90% of the fuel energy is used
- Reduces the load on electric chillers and improves the data center PUE
- Higher construction cost and more complex operation
Combined cycle
A gas turbine is complemented by a steam turbine that uses the heat of the exhaust.
- 50–60% efficiency
- Makes sense from tens of megawatts
- Long construction and high cost
Which gas is used
Associated petroleum gas (APG) is released during oil production. It is the cheapest, but its composition varies, so it needs treatment.
Natural gas from a well has a more stable composition but costs more.
Pipeline gas comes from a trunk line through a gas distribution station. It is the most expensive and predictable, and the price depends on the region.
Connection scheme
Stand-alone: there is no external grid, gas is the only source, and the reserve must be created on site (N+1 or 2N).
In parallel with the grid: the grid acts as a reserve and gas is the main source.
Grid primary, gas backup: a classic replacement for diesel generators.
Advantages and limitations
- Fast launch: no need to wait for grid capacity to be allocated
- Predictable electricity cost with a long-term gas contract
- In remote areas several times cheaper than diesel generation
- Heat can be used for heating and cooling
- Sufficient gas volumes and a connection to the source are required; associated gas needs treatment
- Redundancy noticeably increases the investment
- Dependence on a single gas source
- Seasonal logistics: winter roads, navigation, floods
Rule of thumb: 1 MW of electrical output of a gas engine generator with 38–42% efficiency consumes roughly 250–300 m³ of gas per hour.
Site and capacity
Financing and currency
Staff and rotation
Rotational work, regional coefficient and northern allowances, flights from Moscow, meals, occupational safety and salaries. Values without a confirmed source are marked: they must be verified.
Your own costs (per 1 MW)
If you know the actual cost, enter it: a value above zero replaces the calculated one and is used without regional factors. A value of 0 means automatic calculation. All amounts are in rubles excluding VAT.
Assumptions and prices
A value of 0 means the figure is determined automatically from the selected equipment type or conditions. Prices are entered in rubles; results are shown in the selected currency.
Configuration options
Select an option in the table header and all indicators below will be recalculated. N is the number of units needed to cover the load; N+1 adds one spare unit; 2N means full duplication.
Project schedule
Investment breakdown (CAPEX)
Generation and gas consumption
Technical operating indicators
Indicative values for gas engine generators. The exact service intervals, oil consumption rates and service life are set by the equipment manufacturer. On associated gas the service intervals are about 20% shorter because the gas composition varies.
Staff and rotation costs
Salaries are shown before the regional coefficient and northern allowances and before personal income tax. Northern payments are calculated as salary × (regional coefficient + percentage allowance). Flights, meals and the rotation allowance are included only for rotational work.
How the result depends on capacity
The table is recalculated with the current settings. Staff numbers grow more slowly than capacity: up to 20 MW the accepted reference values are used, above 20 MW the headcount grows by the specified number of people per 10 MW (the parameter “Staff growth”). These values are indicative and must be verified. No volume discount on equipment is applied by default (the parameter “Equipment discount”).
Cost of electricity
"Including investment" adds the annual share of the energy center construction cost spread over 20 years. The electricity sale price is shown for comparison (the benchmark is public mining-hosting tariffs).
Cumulative cash flow
Effect of the gas price on the result
Annual figures at steady operation
Contact us on Telegram:
Typical estimates (from the calculator model)
Containerized data center, associated gas, stand-alone mode, minimal option without a spare unit. Each cell shows a range: from the optimistic scenario (equipment in stock, site ready, all-year road, housing available) to the base one (equipment supplied from the factory, site designed and built, delivery by winter road, shift camp required). Amounts are excluding VAT in the page currency, accuracy ±30%.
| Consumer capacity | Number of units | All-year road: investment / launch, months | Winter road only (temporary seasonal road): investment / launch, months | Water route in the navigation season and winter road: investment / launch, months | Cost of electricity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 MW | 2–2 × 1 MW | $1.0M–2.1M / 5–13 | $1.0M–2.2M / 5–16 | $1.0M–2.3M / 10–14 | $0.027/kWh–0.055/kWh |
| 2 MW | 3–3 × 1 MW | $1.4M–2.8M / 5–13 | $1.4M–2.9M / 5–16 | $1.4M–3.0M / 10–14 | $0.022/kWh–0.041/kWh |
| 5 MW | 7–7 × 1 MW | $2.8M–5.3M / 5–13 | $2.8M–5.6M / 5–16 | $2.8M–5.7M / 10–14 | $0.021/kWh–0.036/kWh |
| 10 MW | 13–7 × 2 MW | $5.1M–9.8M / 5–15 | $5.1M–10M / 5–17 | $5.1M–11M / 11–16 | $0.020/kWh–0.034/kWh |
| 20 MW | 26–7 × 4 MW | $9.9M–19M / 6–16 | $9.9M–20M / 6–17 | $9.9M–20M / 11–17 | $0.020/kWh–0.034/kWh |
| 50 MW | 63–18 × 4 MW | $24M–46M / 8–24 | $24M–49M / 8–25 | $24M–50M / 13–25 | $0.020/kWh–0.034/kWh |
How the calculation works
- Peak load equals the IT equipment capacity multiplied by PUE (the data center energy efficiency ratio) and by 1.04 (the energy center's own consumption). In stand-alone mode a margin for sudden load changes is added.
- The number of units is the peak load divided by the capacity of one unit, taking availability into account; a reserve is then added: none (N), one unit (N+1) or full duplication (2N).
- Investment (CAPEX) includes equipment, delivery (depends on region and transport access), site (depends on ground, temperature and readiness), electrical and gas piping, gas treatment, pipeline, data center, staff housing, design and a contingency of 10–15%.
- The project schedule consists of design and permits, equipment manufacturing, waiting for the delivery period (winter road or navigation), installation and commissioning.
- The economics takes into account the cost of gas (based on efficiency and the price of the selected gas type), maintenance, staff, and revenue from colocation or electricity sales. NPV, IRR and payback are calculated from a monthly cash flow, and the cost is compared with the electricity sale price.
Rotation work rules and occupational safety
- A rotation may not exceed one month; in exceptional cases it may be extended to three months, taking the trade union's opinion into account (Art. 299 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).
- For rotational work, summarized working-time accounting is applied for a month, a quarter or another period, but not more than one year (Art. 300).
- The employer approves the rotation schedule and informs employees no later than two months before it takes effect; travel days are not counted as working time (Art. 301).
- Rotational workers are entitled to guarantees and compensations, including an allowance for rotational work; its size is set by the collective agreement or the employer's local act (Art. 302).
- The regional coefficient applies from the first working day regardless of length of service, while the percentage northern allowance grows with service up to the maximum for the area (Art. 316, 317). In northern areas the coefficients range from 1.15 to 2.0.
- Paying for the meals of rotational workers is mandatory if it is stipulated by the collective agreement, a local act or the employment contract; three hot meals a day are the norm in camps.
- Spending on occupational safety must be at least 0.2% of production costs (Art. 225 of the Labor Code; before 2022 — Art. 226).
The rules are given based on reviews and texts of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation (ConsultantPlus, ppt.ru; October 2026); verify them against the current edition of the Code and the collective agreement. The Code does not set a maximum shift length; it is determined by the work schedule.
Salaries by position: benchmarks from job postings (October 2026)
| Position | Range | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas engine unit operator or machinist | RUB 90–100k take-home (about RUB 103–115k before income tax) | 15/15 and 2/2 schedules, regions without northern payments | hh.ru/132850728 hh.ru/135942814 |
| Electrician on rotation | RUB 140–195k take-home; Grade 5 electrician about RUB 248k before tax | regions not stated in the postings | hh.ru/123404526 |
| Power engineer, chief power engineer | from RUB 170k take-home (Norilsk) to RUB 298–373k before tax (Yakutia) | include northern payments | hh.ru/135906611 hh.ru/135635586 |
| Shift supervisor of a gas unit section | the amount is not stated in the posting | Norilsk | hh.ru/135168649 |
| Security, data center engineers, management | no data found | entered manually in the calculation |
Postings state amounts as take-home or before tax and often already include northern payments; in the calculator the salary is entered before northern payments and income tax. The values in the fields are filled in as a benchmark and are updated automatically.
Terms and abbreviations
- Data center
- a building or modules housing servers and engineering systems.
- Gas generation
- generation of electricity at an on-site energy center running on gas.
- Gas engine generator
- an internal combustion engine running on gas and coupled to an electric generator.
- Gas turbine
- a gas turbine coupled to an electric generator.
- APG
- associated petroleum gas: gas released from oil during its production.
- Gas distribution station
- a facility where gas pressure is reduced and gas volume is metered.
- Efficiency
- the share of the gas energy that becomes electricity.
- MW and kWh
- units of power and energy. 1 MW = 1000 kW; 1 kWh is the energy delivered by 1 kW of power over one hour.
- PUE
- power usage effectiveness of a data center: total consumption divided by IT equipment consumption. The closer to 1, the better.
- N, N+1, 2N
- redundancy levels. N is as many units as the load needs; N+1 adds one spare unit; 2N is full duplication.
- Stand-alone mode
- operation without a connection to the external grid and without energy storage.
- CAPEX
- capital expenditure: investment in construction and equipment.
- OPEX
- operating expenditure: gas, maintenance, staff.
- EBITDA
- operating profit before taxes, interest and depreciation.
- NPV
- net present value: the total profit of the project taking into account that future money is worth less than money today. A positive value means the project beats the required return.
- IRR
- internal rate of return: the average annual return of the project. The higher, the better.
- Payback period
- the time in which the accumulated profit covers the investment.
- Discount rate
- the required return used to convert future income into today's money.
- Offtake
- a long-term agreement under which the buyer undertakes to purchase the electricity produced (an agreed volume) at an agreed price.
- Colocation
- hosting customers' equipment in your data center for a fee per unit of provided capacity.
- Winter road
- a temporary road over frozen ground and ice that is usable only in winter.
- Navigation season
- the period when shipping is possible on rivers and seas.
- Shift camp
- a temporary settlement for employees working on a rotational (fly-in fly-out) basis.
- Service (maintenance)
- scheduled work such as changing oil and filters and adjusting and checking components.
- Engine hour
- one hour of engine operation; maintenance and overhauls are scheduled by engine hours.
- Major overhaul
- a major engine repair that replaces the worn main components, for example the cylinder-piston group.
Frequently asked questions
What is gas generation for a data center?
It is a data center's own energy center running on natural or associated petroleum gas: gas engine generators or gas turbines. The solution is used where grid capacity is unavailable or a connection takes years, while gas is nearby.
How much does it cost to build a data center with gas generation?
Model benchmark for a containerized data center in northern conditions, without a spare unit: $2.1M for 1 MW (all-year road) and $46M for 50 MW. For 5 MW: from $5.3M with an all-year road to $5.7M with delivery by water. Accuracy ±30%.
How much gas is needed per 1 MW of electrical output?
At an electrical efficiency of 35–42% and a gas heating value of 8,000–9,000 kcal/m³, consumption is about 250–300 m³ per hour per MW, or 2.2–2.6 million m³ per year at continuous operation.
How many units are needed for a given capacity?
The number of units is calculated from the peak load (IT equipment capacity multiplied by PUE and by 1.04 for own consumption). In stand-alone mode without storage a 10–20% margin for sudden load changes is added, followed by a failure reserve: none (N), one unit (N+1) or duplication (2N).
How long does it take to build the energy center and data center?
According to the model, 3 to 35 months from contract signing. For 5 MW: 13 months with an all-year road and 16 months with delivery by winter road only.
What affects the timeline and cost most?
The region and transport access (winter roads and navigation set the delivery periods), site readiness (whether design is needed), the need for a shift camp, temperature and ground, the gas type and the redundancy level.
How do gas engine generators differ from gas turbines?
Gas engine generators have 35–45% efficiency, are modular and perform well at part load, but need regular servicing. Gas turbines have 30–38% efficiency and are compact, but lose output in heat and at part load; they are justified from a few to tens of megawatts.
How much oil is needed and how often is servicing required?
Oil top-up consumption of gas engines is about 0.2–0.4 g per kWh, which is roughly 2–3 tonnes per year per MW at continuous operation; in addition, the oil is fully replaced during scheduled maintenance. Routine service is performed about every 1,000 engine hours (roughly every 6 weeks of continuous operation), intermediate service every 10,000 hours and extended service every 20,000 hours.
After how many hours is a major overhaul needed and what is the service life?
A major overhaul is usually required after about 40,000 engine hours (around 5 years of continuous operation); most often the short block is replaced. With timely maintenance the design service life of gas units is about 25 years. On associated gas the intervals are about 20% shorter.
The calculation is an indicative estimate (pre-feasibility accuracy, ±30%) and does not replace a feasibility study. Not included: inflation and price growth, property tax, carbon payments, gas volume limits, land cost and customers' IT equipment. Regional values (temperature, gas price, winter-road season) are typical and must be verified for a specific site.