by Carter Palmer, Power Systems Specialist, Forecast International.
Ansaldo Energia has been supplying gas turbines worldwide for decades. Up until now, China has been a small market for the Italian manufacturer. That may be about to change.
China, with the world’s third largest coal reserves, has long been dependent on that resource for its electrical power generation. But the Asian country is currently moving away from coal in favor of other fuel types and more environmentally friendly equipment. Gas turbines are a good alternative. Old, coal-fired technology can be readily replaced with a combined-cycle powerplant.
Enter the Shanghai Electric Group
The Shanghai Electric Group is a large conglomerate based in China. In 2014, it agreed to pay EUR400 million for a 40 percent stake in Ansaldo Energia. Since then, Ansaldo has been gaining ground in China. Forecast International’s database counts four AE94 gas turbines sold since 2014. Recently, another power play for AE occurred.
The GT36 gas turbine, an acquisition from French company Alstom and now produced by Ansaldo, had its first sale in November 2018. Its recipient, perhaps unsurprisingly, will be the Shanghai Electric Power Company. This is a major accomplishment for both the Shanghai Electric Group and Ansaldo Energia. The GT36 is a next-generation machine, and its sale to China is indicative of the direction in which both companies are heading. China is a major market and the GT36 has found a home to grow into.
Be sure to visit Forecast International power systems analysts Carter Palmer and Stu Slade at Power-Gen International on December 4th through 6th, Booth 1360
As an analyst for Forecast International’s Industrial & Marine Turbine Forecast, author Carter Palmer specializes in examining key gas turbine programs for electrical power generation, mechanical drive, and marine propulsion applications.
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