As every first Saturday of each month, welcome to this month’s edition of the GasTurbineHub Newsletter!

In today’s newsletter:

📈 Different Paths to Power AI – How the U.S. and China are fuelling the surge.
🏭 Gas Turbine New Installations – Latest updates on projects and deployments.
⚙️ Gas Turbine Technology Developments – Innovations driving efficiency and performance.
🔥 Hydrogen Gas Turbines – Advancements in hydrogen-powered solutions.
🌍 Carbon Capture and Sequestration Projects – Key progress in reducing emissions.
📅 2025 Events Calendar – Upcoming industry events and opportunities to connect.

Let’s jump right in!  

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As Europe remains largely unaware, a subtle yet significant energy crisis is emerging in the Americas, opening the door to vast potential

In the United States, hyperscale data centres are now requesting more than 1,000 megawatts of power — as much as a two nuclear reactor or a large-sized city. These aren’t rare exceptions. They’re the future of infrastructure. One AI-focused facility currently under construction could consume electricity equivalent to 4 million homes.

And yet, there is no clear plan for how this massive surge in demand will be met — or how it fits within the climate commitments many governments and companies set just five years ago.

In Memphis, Tennessee, local residents were hit with rolling blackouts while a new AI data centre — linked to Elon Musk’s xAI — came online and installed up to 35 methane-fueled gas turbines without full air permits. It sparked public outcry, environmental backlash, and a legal threat from the NAACP. This isn’t an isolated event. It’s a symptom of the mismatch between AI infrastructure and the energy system built to serve it.

We’re powering artificial intelligence at the expense of everything else — and we’re not doing it cleanly.

The Data Centre Tsunami: A 945 TWh Monster by 2030

According to the IEA’s 2025 Energy and AI report, global data centres consumed 415 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2024 — about 1.5% of global electricity demand. That’s already more than many developed nations. By 2030, this number is expected to more than double, hitting 945 TWh — more than the entire electricity use of Japan.

In the United States, data centres alone will account for nearly half of all electricity demand growth through 2030. And in some regions, one new data centre alone may require as much electricity as the entire city it’s being built near.

And yet, this isn’t widely known or discussed — especially in Europe, where public discourse is still focused on residential electrification and EV infrastructure.

Clustered Demand, Local Crises

Data centres don’t spread out evenly. They cluster, drawn by tax incentives, high-speed fibre, and land availability. The result? Half of all U.S. data centre capacity is in just five regions: Northern Virginia, Dallas–Fort Worth, Phoenix, Silicon Valley, and Atlanta.

This clustering is a massive problem for local energy systems. In parts of Virginia, data centres now consume over 20% of all electricity — more than homes, hospitals, and public services combined.

“We’re building AI’s brain in places where the grid is already on life support.”

And the consequences are real: long interconnection queues, congested substations, and project delays for other users — from homes to hydrogen plants.

The Return of the Gas Turbine — But Without Reinvention

As grid infrastructure struggles to keep pace with soaring digital demand, developers are turning to gas turbines for one simple reason: they’re the fastest, most reliable way to deploy firm power. In today’s energy landscape, where lead times for transformers and grid expansions stretch over five years, a modular gas turbine can be installed in 18–24 months, but in some cases it take as much as 60 months.

Natural gas-fired turbines are now back in the spotlight. In the xAI case, 35 portable methane-fueled turbines provided 422 MW of instant capacity while grid upgrades lagged. But this quick fix came at a cost: local air quality complaints, public opposition, and eventual partial removal of the units after grid substations were completed.

The broader picture is even more revealing. As shown in the graph, AI data centre energy demand is accelerating, while gas turbine supply remains heavily concentrated in the U.S., with China and global capacity plateauing or declining.

The lesson is clear: turbines can bridge the gap — but not without consequences if deployed without foresight, transparency, and clean technology. And if the industry does not adapt fast, demand will outpace its ability to provide sustainable solutions.

This Is a Systemic Collision — And It’s Just Beginning

We are not just adding new demand to the system — we’re concentrating it, accelerating it, and automating it.

Meanwhile, the gas turbines we’re installing today will still be running in 2045 — long past the climate deadlines governments have committed to.

In the U.S., by the end of this decade, data centres will consume more electricity than the entire heavy industrial sector — including aluminum, cement, chemicals, and steel.

And yet, most of that demand is being met with fossil power that doesn’t have a long-term decarbonisation strategy. That’s not a plan — that’s a lock-in.

However, according to IEA analysis, while the energy demand from AI data centres is projected to rise sharply, this does not necessarily translate into a proportional increase in global greenhouse gas emissions. That’s because AI technologies themselves have the potential to optimize energy systems, industrial operations, and logistics, thereby enabling emissions reductions across multiple sectors. If these system-wide efficiency gains are fully realised, AI could help offset part of its own carbon footprint — though this balance depends heavily on how power for data centres is generated.

But This Isn’t Just a Crisis. It’s an Opening.

For the gas turbine industry, this moment isn’t just a warning sign — it’s a rare and powerful opportunity.

AI needs reliable, rapid, flexible power. That’s exactly what turbines can deliver — if we modernise.

We’re talking about a once-in-a-generation chance to:

• Redefine GTs as digital infrastructure enablers, not legacy emitters.

• Standardise hydrogen-ready models and battery-integrated units.

• Lead the shift toward modular turbine + solar + storage microgrids for data centres.

• Partner directly with cloud and AI firms to create energy-as-a-service ecosystems — tailored for uptime, efficiency, and carbon reduction.

Looking Ahead: The AI revolution is reshaping global electricity demand — and it’s happening faster than anything we’ve seen before. The energy sector, especially the gas turbine industry, must now decide: lead or lag.

This is not a pause. This is a pivot point.

We can be part of a resilient, low-carbon future. We can deliver reliable power to the engines of tomorrow’s economy — not as a compromise, but as a cornerstone.

Wherever there’s a crisis, there’s also an opportunity. And this one is ours to lead.

Let’s build accordingly.

Join the Conversation: Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on developments in gas turbine technology and the energy sector.

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The Latest News in a Snapshot

Gas Turbine New Installations

• Ansaldo Energia Wins 300 MW Gas Peaker Contract in Ireland

  “Ansaldo will supply a 94.3A gas turbine (open-cycle, ~300 MW) plus generator for Kilshane Energy’s new peaking power plant in Dublin, Ireland. The plant (commissioning 2028) will provide fast backup to support Ireland’s renewables-heavy grid”
  Source: Ansaldo Energia (3 June, 2025)

• Baker Hughes Supplies NovaLT Gas Turbines for Data Centers in Wyoming, Texas

  “Baker Hughes will deliver 16 NovaLT™ gas turbines (~270 MW total) to power Frontier’s new data center campuses in Wyoming and Texas. The turbines will form on-site generation “energy islands” with fuel flexibility (natural gas or 100% hydrogen) and are part of a broader CCS-enabled infrastructure plan.”
  Source: Turbomachinery International (5 June, 2025)

• GE Vernova and Uniper announce turbine upgrade at Grain power station in Kent, UK

  “GE Vernova and Uniper announced a high-efficiency upgrade for three GT26 gas turbines at the Grain power station in Kent. The retrofit, starting 2026, is expected to add ~25 MW per unit and boost efficiency ~1–2%, cutting CO₂ per MWh”
  Source: GE Vernova (5 June, 2025)

• Doosan to Build 1,155 MW Gas-Fired Plant in Vietnam (O Mon 4)

  “Doosan Enerbility announced a KRW 900 billion contract (signed June 9, 2025) to construct the O Mon 4 combined-cycle power plant (1,155 MW) in Cần Thơ, Vietnam. Doosan (with local partner PECC2) will supply main equipment and handle EPC for this plant, slated for 2028 completion.”
  Source: Doosan (9 June, 2025)

• Duke Energy Plans 1.4 GW Gas–Hydrogen Plant in South Carolina (USA)

  “On June 11, Duke Energy announced intent to seek approval for a 1,400 MW combined-cycle plant in Anderson County, SC with hydrogen co-firing capability. If approved, the plant would start construction in 2027 and open by 2031. It will utilize GE Vernova 7HA gas turbines made in Greenville, SC, as part of a multi-year deal to deploy up to 11 HA units across Duke’s fleet.”
  Source: Power Mag. (11 June, 2025)

• “8th November” Combined-Cycle Plant Inaugurated in Azerbaijan (1.2 GW)

  “Azerenerji commissioned the country’s largest power station, a 1,200 MW CCGT in Mingachevir, on June 24, 2025. Four Ansaldo AE94.3A gas turbines and generators were supplied for this plant. The plant is built with Italian technology, hydrogen-blend capable (40%), and achieves a 50% emissions reduction versus older units – a key step in Azerbaijan’s energy transition.”
  Source: Ansaldo Energia (25 June, 2025)

• GE Vernova Secures Order for 6 Fast Power Turbines in Puerto Rico

  “Six GE Vernova LM2500XPRESS aeroderivative gas turbines are expected to deliver up to approximately 224 megawatts (MW).”
  Source: GE Vernova (30 June, 2025)

Gas Turbine Technology and Market Developments

• Eaton and Siemens Energy join forces to provide power and technology to accelerate the delivery of new data center capacity

  “A new 500 MW modular plant solution by Siemens Energy and Eaton provides data centers with on-site gas generation and battery storage, independent of the grid. It’s pre-designed for quick deployment and future hydrogen fuel, helping meet urgent AI-driven power needs.“
  Source: Siemens Energy (3 June, 2025)

• Doosan Enerbility Successfully Completes Full Speed Full Load Testing for 380MW Gas Turbine

  “Doosan Enerbility announced on June 5th that it had held a ceremony to commemorate the successful completion of the Full Speed Full Load (FSFL) performance test on its in-house developed 380MW gas turbine model. The FSFL test is conducted to evaluate the assembled gas turbine’s performance and reliability by operating it at maximum speed and capacity under the same real-world conditions existing at a power plant.“
  Source: Doosan Enerbility (5 June, 2025)

• IHI and GE Vernova complete large-scale combustion test facility for ammonia gas turbine development

  “Under a Joint Development Agreement signed in 2024, IHI Corporation and GE Vernova continue to develop a new gas turbine combustor aiming to enable GE Vernova’s F-Class gas turbines to burn up to 100% ammonia by 2030“
  Source: GE Vernova (23 June, 2025)

Hydrogen Gas Turbines

• 50% hydrogen blend testing successfully completed at Georgia Power’s Plant McDonough-Atkinson

  “Georgia Power and Mitsubishi Power have successfully completed a second trial blending hydrogen and natural gas fuels at both partial and full load on an M501GAC natural gas turbine at Georgia Power’s Plant McDonough-Atkinson in Smyrna, Georgia. The demonstration project is the first to validate 50%* hydrogen fuel blending on an advanced class gas turbine, and the largest test of this kind in the world to date.”

  Source: MHI (16 June, 2025)

• Micro-Gas Turbines Support Hydrogen, Modularity, Hard-To-Electrify Industries

  “Industry experts at Turbo Expo say microturbines (≤5 MW) are leveraging their fuel flexibility to run on hydrogen blends and even 100% H₂ in R&D. These modular turbines can supply both heat and power for off-grid industries, acting as a bridge to decarbonization in hard-to-electrify sectors.”

  Source: Turbomachinery International (25 June, 2025)

Carbon Capture and Sequestration Projects

• Balfour Beatty wins $1.14bn contract for world’s first carbon capture power station

  “UK contractors broke ground on Net Zero Teesside Power, a 742 MW combined-cycle gas plant equipped with carbon capture to trap 2 Mt CO₂/year. The plant, backed by Balfour Beatty, Technip and GE Vernova, will provide low-carbon electricity and anchor Britain’s CCS cluster ambitions.“

  Source: EnergyConnects (30 June, 2025)

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Gas Turbine Related Events Happening in 2025

AOG (Alstom Owners Group) Users Conference
Date: July 14-17, 2025
Location: Niagara Falls, New York, USA (In-person)
Organizer: AOG Users Group
Website: AOG Users
Key Topics: GT8, GT11N, N1, N2, GT13, GT24, GT26.

HRSG Forum 2025 – Heat Recovery Steam Generator Users Conference
Date: July 21-24, 2025
Location: The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, USA (In-person)
Organizer: HRSG Forum
Website: powerusers.org
Key Topics: HRSG Tube Failures, Water Treatment, HRSG Preservation.

HA Users Group 2025 Annual Conference
Date: August 4-8, 2025
Location: Greenville, South Carolina, USA (In-person)
Organizer: HA Users Group
Website: powerusers.org
Key Topics: 7HA, 9HA.

Combined Cycle/Steam Turbine/Generator/Power Plant Controls User Groups and Low Carbon Peer Group Conference
Date: August 25-28, 2025
Location: Shanghai, D.C., USA (In-person)
Organizer: Steering Committees of each User Group
Website: powerusers.org

GPPS Shanghai Technical Conference 2025
Date: September 4-6, 2025
Location: Shanghai, China (In-person)
Organizer: GPPS
Website: https://gpps.global/gpps-shanghai25/

ASME Gas Turbine India Conference 2025
Date: September 10-13, 2025
Location: Hyderabad, India (In-person)
Organizer: ASME
Website: https://www.asme-india.org/tec/gas-turbine-gt

Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia (TPS) 2025
Date: September 16-18, 2025
Location: Houston, Texas (In-person)
Organizer: TPS
Website: https://tps.tamu.edu

Combustion Turbine Operations Technical Forum (CTOTF) 50th Anniversary Conference
Date: September 21–25, 2025
Location: La Quinta Resort & Club, Palm Springs, California (In-person)
Organizer: CTOTF
Website: https://ctotf.org/home

RoTIC (Rotating Machinery Technology & Innovation) Symposium 2025
Date: September 22-24, 2025
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates (In-person)
Organizer: Aldrich International
Website: roticsymposium.com

Wärtsilä Users Group Annual Conference 2025
Date: September 29 – October 2, 2025
Location: Silver Legacy Resort, Reno, Nevada (In-person)
Organizer: Power Users
Website: https://www.powerusers.org/

V94.3A Users Conference 2025
Date: October 6–9, 2025
Location: Dubai, UAE (In-person)
Organizer: GTUsers
Website: https://ssl.gtusers.com

F9FA/FB, F6FA and 9HA Users Conference 2025
Date: October 13–16, 2025
Location: Bucharest, Romania (In-person)
Organizer: GTUsers
Website: https://ssl.gtusers.com

ETN Global 12th International Gas Turbine Conference (IGTC 2025)
Date: October 14–15, 2025
Location: Tangla Hotel, Brussels, Belgium (In-person)
Organizer: ETN Global
Website: https://etn.global/events/igtc-25/

5th European Micro Gas Turbine Forum (EMGTF 2025)
Date: October 15–16, 2025
Location: Tangla Hotel, Brussels, Belgium (In-person)
Organizer: Brunel University / University of Seville / ETN Global
Website: https://etn.global/events/emgtf25/

SGT-A35 (Industrial RB211) User Group Meeting 2025
Date: November 4–6, 2025
Location: Pau, France (In-person)
Organizer: ETN Global (Host – TotalEnergies)
Website: https://etn.global/events/sgt-a35-user-group-meeting-2025/