diff --git a/defaults/main.yml b/defaults/main.yml
index 92fbc8b6..2f83d689 100644
--- a/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/defaults/main.yml
@@ -124,8 +124,16 @@ nova_virt_types:
     nova_firewall_driver: nova.virt.firewall.NoopFirewallDriver
     nova_scheduler_use_baremetal_filters: False
     nova_scheduler_tracks_instance_changes: True
+  powervm:
+    nova_compute_driver: nova_powervm.virt.powervm.driver.PowerVMDriver
+    nova_scheduler_host_manager: host_manager
+    nova_reserved_host_memory_mb: 8192
+    nova_compute_manager: nova.compute.manager.ComputeManager
+    nova_firewall_driver: nova.virt.firewall.NoopFirewallDriver
+    nova_scheduler_use_baremetal_filters: False
+    nova_scheduler_tracks_instance_changes: True
 
-# Current supported choice: qemu or kvm or ironic
+# Current supported choice: qemu or kvm or ironic or powervm
 # If this is not set, then the playbook will try to guess it.
 #nova_virt_type: kvm
 
@@ -414,3 +422,28 @@ uca_apt_repo_url: "http://ubuntu-cloud.archive.canonical.com/ubuntu"
 uca_repo_dist: "{{ ansible_lsb.codename }}-updates/{{ uca_openstack_release }}"
 uca_repo: "deb {{ uca_apt_repo_url }} {{ uca_repo_dist }} main"
 
+# nova powervm virt driver
+nova_compute_powervm_apt_packages:
+  - bridge-utils
+  - genisoimage
+  - kpartx
+  - open-iscsi
+  - python-libguestfs
+  - sysfsutils
+  - vlan
+  - nfs-common
+  - dosfstools
+  - dosfstools-dbg
+  - multipath-tools
+  - pvm-novalink
+
+nova_compute_powervm_pip_packages:
+  - nova-powervm
+
+novalink_apt_repo:
+  repo: "deb [arch=ppc64el] ftp://public.dhe.ibm.com/systems/virtualization/Novalink/debian/ novalink_1.0.0 non-free"
+  state: "present"
+
+novalink_gpg_keys:
+  - url: "ftp://public.dhe.ibm.com/systems/virtualization/Novalink/debian/novalink-gpg-pub.key"
+    state: "present"
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/nova-powervm-b4eddae30abbd08e.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/nova-powervm-b4eddae30abbd08e.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e450591d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/nova-powervm-b4eddae30abbd08e.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+features:
+  - The os_nova role can now detect and support basic deployment of a PowerVM environment.
+    This sets the virtualization type to 'powervm' and installs/updates the PowerVM NovaLink
+    package and nova-powervm driver.
diff --git a/tasks/nova_compute.yml b/tasks/nova_compute.yml
index 70da214f..3983c776 100644
--- a/tasks/nova_compute.yml
+++ b/tasks/nova_compute.yml
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
 - include: nova_compute_kvm.yml
   when: nova_virt_type == 'kvm' or nova_virt_type == 'qemu'
 
+- include: nova_compute_powervm.yml
+  when: nova_virt_type == 'powervm'
+
 - include: nova_compute_key_populate.yml
 
 - include: nova_compute_key_distribute.yml
diff --git a/tasks/nova_compute_powervm.yml b/tasks/nova_compute_powervm.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f71b40bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tasks/nova_compute_powervm.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+---
+# Copyright 2016, IBM Corp.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+- include: nova_compute_powervm_install.yml
+
+- name: Add nova user to pvm_admin group
+  user:
+    name: "{{ nova_system_user_name }}"
+    groups: "pvm_admin"
+    append: "yes"
+  tags:
+    - nova-powervm
+
+- name: Ensure powervm permissions
+  shell: "udevadm trigger"
+  tags:
+    - nova-powervm
diff --git a/tasks/nova_compute_powervm_install.yml b/tasks/nova_compute_powervm_install.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d2cb6eee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tasks/nova_compute_powervm_install.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+---
+# Copyright 2016, IBM Corp.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+- name: Add novalink keys
+  apt_key:
+    url: "{{ item.url }}"
+    state: "{{ item.state }}"
+  register: add_nv_keys
+  until: add_nv_keys|success
+  retries: 5
+  delay: 2
+  ignore_errors: True
+  with_items: novalink_gpg_keys
+  tags:
+    - novalink-apt-keys
+
+- name: Add novalink repo
+  apt_repository:
+    repo: "{{ novalink_apt_repo.repo }}"
+    state: "{{ novalink_apt_repo.state }}"
+  register: add_nv_repos
+  until: add_nv_repos|success
+  retries: 5
+  delay: 2
+  tags:
+    - novalink-repo
+
+#TODO(evrardjp): Replace the next 2 tasks by a standard apt with cache
+#when https://github.com/ansible/ansible-modules-core/pull/1517 is merged
+#in 1.9.x or we move to 2.0 (if tested working)
+- name: Check apt last update file
+  stat:
+    path: /var/cache/apt
+  register: apt_cache_stat
+  tags:
+    - nova-apt-packages
+    - nova-compute-powervm-apt-packages
+
+- name: Update apt if needed
+  apt:
+    update_cache: yes
+  when: |
+      "ansible_date_time.epoch|float - apt_cache_stat.stat.mtime > {{cache_timeout}}"
+      or add_nv_repos|changed
+  tags:
+    - nova-apt-packages
+    - nova-compute-powervm-apt-packages
+
+- name: Install apt packages
+  apt:
+    pkg: "{{ item }}"
+    state: latest
+  register: install_packages
+  until: install_packages|success
+  retries: 5
+  delay: 2
+  with_items: nova_compute_powervm_apt_packages
+  tags:
+    - nova-apt-packages
+    - nova-compute-powervm-apt-packages
+
+- name: Register pypowervm module path (venv)
+  command: python -c 'import pypowervm; print pypowervm.__file__'
+  register: pypowervm_module_path
+  when:
+    - nova_venv_enabled | bool
+  tags:
+    - nova-powervm-libs
+
+- name: Link pypowervm module into the venv
+  file:
+    src: "{{ pypowervm_module_path.stdout | dirname }}"
+    dest: "{{ nova_venv_bin | dirname }}/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pypowervm"
+    state: link
+    force: "yes"
+  when:
+    - nova_venv_enabled | bool
+  tags:
+    - nova-powervm-libs
+
+- name: Install pip packages (venv)
+  pip:
+    name: "{{ item }}"
+    state: latest
+    virtualenv: "{{ nova_venv_bin | dirname }}"
+    virtualenv_site_packages: "no"
+    extra_args: "{{ pip_install_options|default('') }}"
+  register: install_packages
+  until: install_packages|success
+  retries: 5
+  delay: 2
+  with_items: nova_compute_powervm_pip_packages
+  when:
+    - nova_venv_enabled | bool
+  tags:
+    - nova-install
+    - nova-pip-packages
+
+- name: Install pip packages (no venv)
+  pip:
+    name: "{{ item }}"
+    state: latest
+    extra_args: "{{ pip_install_options|default('') }}"
+  register: install_packages
+  until: install_packages|success
+  retries: 5
+  delay: 2
+  with_items: nova_compute_powervm_pip_packages
+  when: not nova_venv_enabled | bool
+  tags:
+    - nova-install
+    - nova-pip-packages
diff --git a/tasks/nova_virt_detect.yml b/tasks/nova_virt_detect.yml
index 427f8911..4ec49ef7 100644
--- a/tasks/nova_virt_detect.yml
+++ b/tasks/nova_virt_detect.yml
@@ -13,17 +13,35 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-- name: Get virt type value and store as var
-  shell: |
-    `which egrep` -c '(vmx|svm|PowerNV)' /proc/cpuinfo
-  register: virt_type_value
+- name: Get CPU info content and store as var
+  shell: cat /proc/cpuinfo
+  register: cpuinfo_contents
   changed_when: false
   failed_when: false
   tags:
     - always
 
-- name: Register a fact for the nova virt type
+- name: Register a fact for the nova kvm virt type
   set_fact:
-     nova_virt_type: "{{ ((virt_type_value.stdout | int) > 0) | ternary('kvm', 'qemu') }}"
+    nova_virt_type: "kvm"
+  when: cpuinfo_contents.stdout.find('vmx') != -1
+        or cpuinfo_contents.stdout.find('svm') != -1
+        or cpuinfo_contents.stdout.find('PowerNV') != -1
+  tags:
+    - nova-virt-type-set
+
+- name: Register a fact for the nova powervm virt type
+  set_fact:
+    nova_virt_type: "powervm"
+  when:
+    - cpuinfo_contents.stdout.find('pSeries') != -1
+    - ansible_architecture == 'ppc64le'
+  tags:
+    - nova-virt-type-set
+
+- name: Register a fact for the nova qemu virt type
+  set_fact:
+    nova_virt_type: "qemu"
+  when: nova_virt_type is not defined
   tags:
     - always