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122 GW of gas turbine backlog and slot reservations at GE Vernova. Less than 1% of global hydrogen production classified as low-emissions.

These two figures capture an uncomfortable reality. Only a few years ago, the gas turbine industry’s future was being discussed through hydrogen combustion, alternative fuels, carbon capture, and ambitious decarbonisation milestones. Today, the conversation is dominated by manufacturing capacity, delivery schedules, and securing enough generation to meet growing electricity demand.

So, have the decarbonisation roadmaps disappeared?

Not technologically. But commercially, their momentum is being challenged by a very different reality.

The market has changed. The challenge has not.

The shift in priorities is understandable.

The IEA forecasts global electricity demand growth averaging 3.6% annually between 2026 and 2030¹, driven by industry, electrification, cooling, and data centres. At the same time, energy security has returned to the centre of investment decisions.

Gas turbines provide dispatchable capacity, and manufacturers are responding to strong demand. GE Vernova’s October 2026 results reported 122 GW² of equipment backlog and slot reservations, although these are future commitments rather than installed capacity.

Interestingly, the IEA expects global gas-fired electricity generation to remain broadly flat in 2026, despite strong turbine ordering activity.

The distinction matters: equipment demand reflects expectations of future capacity requirements, not necessarily an immediate increase in gas consumption. For operators facing capacity shortages, securing reliable generation is a rational priority.

But what happens to the decarbonisation requirements of assets being ordered today and expected to operate for decades?

Hydrogen: The gap between ambition and reality

The IEA’s Global Hydrogen Review 2026³ provides a revealing assessment.

In 2025, global hydrogen demand exceeded 100 million tonnes, but low-emissions hydrogen production reached only approximately 1 million tonnes. Most hydrogen is still produced from fossil fuels and consumed in refining and chemical manufacturing.

The outlook is equally revealing:

• 27 million tonnes/year: Announced low-emissions hydrogen production projects targeting 2030.

• 4.3 million tonnes/year: Production capacity from projects already operating or having reached a final investment decision.

• 20%: Share of new low-emissions hydrogen offtake agreements signed in 2025 backed by firm contractual commitments.

The announced 2030 production pipeline has also contracted from 37 million tonnes in the IEA’s 2025 assessment to 27 million tonnes in 2026.

This is not evidence of zero progress. Capital spending on low-emissions hydrogen projects reached nearly $7 billion in 2025, almost double the previous year.

But investment activity, project announcements, and actual fuel availability are very different measures of progress.

Why should operators demand hydrogen-capable equipment at additional cost when they cannot secure reliable volumes of competitively priced hydrogen?

Conversely, why should producers build infrastructure without committed customers?

Neither side can resolve this problem independently.

The turbines are progressing. The fuel system is lagging.

There is no shortage of evidence that OEMs continue investing in combustion technology.

GE Vernova validated a 100% hydrogen dry low-NOx combustor prototype⁴, achieving below 25 ppm NOx in testing, Mitsubishi Power⁵ has verified 30% hydrogen co-firing by volume in its large-frame JAC technology and conducted pure-hydrogen validation on its H-25 turbine.

But Siemens Energy’s HYFLEXPOWER project offers perhaps the clearest illustration of the wider challenge. During the demonstration in France, an SGT-400 producing 10 MW on hydrogen consumed approximately 810 kg of H₂ per hour. The pilot electrolyser produced around 16.4 kg per hour. The turbine successfully operated on 100% hydrogen for just over four hours, with the duration limited by fuel availability.

This was a significant combustion achievement, not a commercial failure. Yet it exposed precisely the problem the industry faces: the fuel-production system and the turbine’s requirements were operating at very different scales.

We should also distinguish hydrogen blending capability from emissions reduction. 30% hydrogen by volume represents only approximately 11% of the fuel’s energy content in a methane-hydrogen blend. At unchanged efficiency, the reduction in direct CO₂ emissions is therefore around 11%, not 30%.

And hydrogen combustion continues to demand careful management of flashback, combustion dynamics, NOx, fuel-system design, and operating flexibility.

Proving fuel compatibility is an engineering milestone. Delivering sustained, affordable, low-emissions operation is a different achievement.

We cannot afford a hydrogen-only roadmap

Hydrogen is important, but the decarbonisation portfolio must remain broader.

• Efficiency upgrades offer one of the most immediate opportunities to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Compressor and hot-gas-path upgrades, improved sealing, control optimisation, and combined-cycle improvements can enhance the performance of existing assets. To illustrate the impact, increasing electrical efficiency from 35% to 36% reduces fuel consumption per MWh by approximately 2.8%. CHP provides additional opportunities where there is sustained demand for useful heat, but it is not applicable to every installation. Improving efficiency should remain a priority regardless of future fuel pathways.

• Biomethane, biogas, and synthetic fuels can complement existing gas infrastructure. However, the IEA expects all low-emissions gases combined to account for less than 1% of global gaseous fuel supply in 2030. Sustainability, feedstock availability, methane leakage, and production costs remain decisive.

• Carbon capture and storage (CCS) provides another route. The UK’s Net Zero Teesside Power project, currently under construction, targets up to 742 MW of dispatchable power and approximately 2 million tonnes of captured CO₂ annually, with start-up expected in 2028. That is meaningful progress, but the capture performance, energy penalty, CO₂ infrastructure, and economics still need to be demonstrated in sustained commercial operation. Upstream fuel emissions must also be included.

• System integration is equally important. Renewables, nuclear, batteries, transmission, and demand flexibility all contribute to reducing fossil generation. Gas turbines can support this transition, but flexibility alone does not guarantee lower system emissions.

A peaking turbine, industrial CHP installation, mechanical-drive turbine, and high-utilisation combined-cycle plant will not share the same optimal decarbonisation pathway.

Energy security changes the equation across regions

Consider how differently countries approach the same technologies.

• Europe: The EU imported 57.2% of its energy requirements in 2025 Decarbonisation can reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels, but dispatchable power and industrial heat remain essential.

• Japan: Its energy self-sufficiency rate was only around 16% in 2025. Hydrogen and ammonia offer diversification, but replacing imported LNG with imported hydrogen/ammonia does not automatically create energy independence.

• South Korea: Hydrogen-power procurement mechanisms attempt to establish demand, but changing policy priorities and fuel economics continue to constrain deployment.

• United States: Abundant domestic gas resources create a stronger immediate business case for conventional gas turbines. The IEA expects data centres to account for approximately half of US electricity-demand growth through 2030. Preserving future decarbonisation options becomes particularly important.

• Middle East: Replacing oil-fired generation with more efficient gas-fired plants can reduce emissions, while renewables, CCS, and low-carbon fuels create opportunities for longer-term industrial diversification.

The priorities differ, but the underlying lesson is consistent. Decarbonisation and energy security should be designed together, not treated as competing objectives. This is particularly important for energy-importing economies. Domestic low-carbon electricity, efficient industrial processes, and reduced fuel consumption can improve energy security. Simply substituting one imported fuel for another may not.

What should the gas turbine industry do differently?

For OEMs, strong orders should provide the resources to sustain combustion research, fuel flexibility, materials development, and CCS integration, not justify postponing them.

For operators, the question is less about purchasing a hydrogen-ready label and more about preserving realistic conversion options: fuel-system interfaces, layout, retrofit costs, permitting, and operational requirements.

For service providers, the opportunity lies in efficiency upgrades, combustion retrofits, emissions verification, and maintenance strategies adapted to new fuels and flexible operation.

For policymakers, targets need to become investable fuel-supply chains, credible demand commitments, and infrastructure projects.

Looking ahead: The important milestones are no longer just announced hydrogen percentages or new technology roadmaps. Watch hydrogen projects reaching final investment decisions, firm fuel offtake agreements, turbines completing sustained commercial operation on lower-carbon fuels, and CCS plants demonstrating actual capture performance. Above all, watch the specifications of the gas turbines being purchased today.

The gas turbine industry is right to respond to immediate demand. But we cannot allow short-term commercial priorities to determine the limits of tomorrow’s decarbonisation. The roadmaps may have become quieter. The technical challenge, the energy-security implications, and the responsibility to make progress have not disappeared.

References: 1. IEA (2026), Electricity 2026, IEA, Paris. 2. GE Vernova 3Q 2026 Press release (accessed on 05 of November, 2026). 3. IEA (2026), Global Hydrogen Review 2026, IEA, Paris. 4. GE Vernova validates 100% hydrogen-fueled DLN combustor technology aiming to decarbonize its industrial B- and E-Class gas turbines (accessed on 05 of November, 2026). 5. Mitsubishi Power. Hydrogen Power Generation Handbook (accessed on 05 of November, 2026).

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Gas Turbine New Installations

• Capstone Energy+ Wins 2.6 MW Order to Power Critical Liquefied Natural Gas Infrastructure in Argentina

  Capstone Energy+ has announced a 2.6 MW order to power a remote natural gas compression facility in Argentina, with two C1000S gas turbines and one C600S turbine destined for a Río Negro Province site supporting LNG export operations.
  Source: Capstone Energy + (1 October, 2026)

• NZT Power: GE Vernova 9HA.02 arrives on Teesside site

  The GE Vernova 9HA.02 gas turbine has arrived on site in Teesside for the NZT Power project, marking a major milestone in delivering the landmark combined-cycle power plant. When completed, NZT Power is planned to generate up to 742 MW of electricity and, with an estimated 95% carbon capture and storage (CCS), will provide flexible, lower-carbon power to support renewable energy integration and UK energy security.
  Source: Technip Energies (5 October, 2026)

• Doosan Enerbility Ships 380MW Turbine to SpaceXAI, Marks U.S. Entry

  Doosan Enerbility has shipped a 380MW-class gas turbine (DGT6-300H) to SpaceXAI, marking the first delivery of a South Korean large power generation gas turbine to the U.S. market.
  Source: BigGo Finance (6 October, 2026)

• Romania’s Mintia plant hits first gas-turbine firing, signaling larger 1.7 GW capacity

  The Mintia power project in Romania has achieved a key commissioning milestone: the first gas turbine fired on natural gas, marking progress toward a combined-cycle configuration with a target installed capacity of about 1,700 MW.
  Source: Romania Insider (9 October, 2026)

• OCAPS: A 1,215-MW milestone for Southeast Texas power reliability

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  Source: Entergy (14 October, 2026)

• GE Vernova Secures Order to Strengthen Côte d’Ivoire’s Regional Energy Capacity

  GE Vernova has announced that it will supply a 9E gas turbine and generator for the Songon combined-cycle power plant in Côte d’Ivoire. The project, developed by Songon Energies, aims to bolster energy security and support rising electricity demand in the Greater Abidjan region, with an anticipated 372 MW of capacity and a scheduled 2029 launch.
  Source: GE Vernova (20 October, 2026)

• Fermi Matador Receives Second Siemens SGT6-5000F Turbine

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  Source: Fermi America (19 October, 2026)

• Adag Group Secures 30 Dongfang G50 Turbines for 2.1 GW Canadian Data Centres

  Adag Group’s Eco DC Solutions has announced a landmark agreement with Dongfang Turbine Co., Ltd. to secure 30 G50 natural gas turbines for Canada’s data centre and AI infrastructure.
  Source: Adag Group (26 October, 2026)

• Baker Hughes lands 1.1 GW AI compute power order

  Baker Hughes announced a major integrated power generation and cooling package to support a major U.S. technology company’s high-density AI compute infrastructure. The order combines 34 Frame 5 gas turbines, nine NovaLTTM16 turbines, BRUSH™ Power Generation generators and associated gear to deliver approximately 1.1 gigawatts of reliable, scalable power, paired with Chart dry coolers for a closed-loop cooling system designed to sustain AI model training, inference, and other AI workloads.
  Source: Baker Hughes (27 October, 2026)

Gas Turbine Technology and Market Developments

• Sammi Metal Starts Gas Turbine Blade Deliveries to Hanwha Power, Eyes Follow-up Order

  South Korea’s Sammi Metal has begun delivering gas turbine blades to Hanwha Power, marking a notable milestone as the company secures a follow-on discussion for two additional units next year. The initial order, placed last year, passed Hanwha Power’s quality standards and has been produced and delivered without disruption, with concrete talks already underway for a two-unit follow-up in 2027.
  Source: BigGo Finance (7 October, 2026)

• Azad Engineering wins ₹53 crore BHEL contract for gas turbine blades

  Azad Engineering Ltd has secured a two-year long-term rate contract worth approximately ₹52.68 crore from Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) to supply critical stationary and rotating airfoils (blades) for heavy-duty gas turbines.
  Source: CNBC TV18 (12 October, 2026)

• Baker Hughes and Venture Global Expand Long-Term Power Generation Partnership

  Baker Hughes announced a new Power Frame Agreement with Venture Global and GE Vernova to develop behind-the-meter power generation for LNG production and related industrial operations in the United States. The framework covers turbines, associated equipment, and services for up to 16 power island units, with deliveries scheduled between 2028 and 2034 and potential expansion into LNG-adjacent data center projects.
  Source: Baker Hughes (15 October, 2026)

• Hitachi Energy and Ansaldo Energia Forge Strategic Partnership to Meet Surging Power Demand

  Ansaldo Energia and Hitachi Energy have announced a strategic partnership to deliver integrated power solutions aimed at accelerating the deployment of reliable, flexible power infrastructure to meet rising electricity demand.
  Source: Ansaldo Energia (16 October, 2026)

• Mitsubishi Power Expands Savannah Facility with $490 Million Investment

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  Source: Mitsubishi Power (23 October, 2026)

• Boom Supersonic Advances with Turbine Core, 2GW Superfactory, and All-Digital Foundry

  Boom Supersonic unveiled its first complete supersonic turbine core, announced a 2GW Superpower turbine manufacturing campus, and outlined plans for a cutting-edge all-digital foundry capable of producing single-crystal turbine blades.
  Source: Boom Supersonic (22 October, 2026)

• Baker Hughes Q3 2026: Strong Orders, Record RPO, and Chart Acquisition

  The third quarter of 2026 saw Baker Hughes report a robust set of results driven by expanded portfolio integration, strong order momentum across Industrial & Energy Technology (IET), Oilfield Services & Equipment (OFSE), and the Chart segment following the acquisition.
  Source: Baker Hughes (27 October, 2026)

• GE Vernova Raises 2026 Guidance on Strong 3Q 2026 Results and Gas Equipment Backlog Growth

  GE Vernova reported strong third quarter 2026 financial performance, raised its full-year guidance, and expanded its share repurchase authorization. The company highlighted solid demand for electricity infrastructure, including gas power equipment, and announced expectations for a larger backlog of gas equipment by year-end 2026.
  Source: GE Vernova (28 October, 2026)

• Saltend Gas Turbines to Get Upgraded Dry Low-NOx Tech in Major M701F Retrofit

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  Source: Mitsubishi Power (4 November, 2026)

Gas Turbine Decarbonisation News

• Sembcorp’s 600MW Hydrogen-Ready Plant Boosts Singapore’s Energy Resilience

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  Source: Sembcorp (28 October, 2026)

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Gas Turbine Related Events Happening in September