What happened
Data centres, driven by AI infrastructure power demands and grid connection delays, introduced aeroderivative gas turbines from vendors like ProEnergy and Mitsubishi Power. These modular, fast-start units, effectively repurposed aircraft engines, deliver up to 48 megawatts each. OpenAI is deploying nearly 30 LM2500XPRESS units, each providing 34 megawatts, at a Texas facility. Operating in simple-cycle mode, these turbines exhibit lower thermal efficiency than combined-cycle plants. This shift occurs amidst a gas turbine shortage, leading to multi-year waiting lists and reservation fees.
Why it matters
The deployment of simple-cycle aeroderivative gas turbines introduces an operational constraint by increasing reliance on less thermally efficient, off-grid power generation. This weakens existing environmental performance controls and elevates operational expenditure due to higher fuel consumption per megawatt-hour. Procurement faces increased due diligence requirements for sourcing and maintaining repurposed equipment, while operations teams bear the burden of managing complex, decentralised power infrastructure. This also increases exposure for environmental compliance teams to potentially higher emissions profiles and fuel supply chain volatility.
Subscribe for Weekly Updates
Stay ahead with our weekly AI and tech briefings, delivered every Tuesday.
