In brief
- Global gas turbine orders exceed 100 gigawatts, versus estimated annual manufacturing capacity of 60 to 70 gigawatts.
- AI infrastructure firm Crusoe ordered 13 jet-engine-derived turbines capable of producing 650 megawatts of electricity.
- Used turbines are cheaper and potentially faster to obtain, but limited supply, maintenance issues and pollution permits remain obstacles.
AI data-center developers are hunting for used gas turbines and retired jet engines because ordering brand-new power equipment could leave their servers waiting for electricity until the next decade.
Some companies are buying refurbished machines, while others are converting aircraft-engine technology into generators that can run alongside their computing facilities.
New gas turbines now take an average of six years to deliver in the United States, according to energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie. Delivery discussions are already focused on 2030 and 2031, a timeline that clashes with an AI industry trying to bring enormous computing campuses online much sooner.
Global turbine orders have topped 100 gigawatts, compared with manufacturers’ estimated annual capacity of just 60 to 70 gigawatts, Reuters reported. Siemens Energy, GE Vernova, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have all said orders are outpacing what they can produce.
