Auxiliaries & Components

Combined Cycle

Compressors

Gas Turbines

Hydrogen

Maintenance & Repair

Market Trends

Myth Busters

Oil & Gas

Power Generation

Software & Controls

Steam Turbines

Turbo Tips

News

Media

The TurboTime Podcast

Videos

Webcasts

Magazine

Conferences

Resources

White Papers

Useful Links

Industry Insights

Ask the Expert

Handbook

Home

Get Listed

Digital Advertising

Advertise

Media Planner

Terms & Conditions

About

About Us

Contact

Turbomachinery Magazine connects engineers and technicians with insights on industry trends, turbines, compressors, power generation, and maintenance.

Editorial Board

Contact Us

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Privacy Policy

Terms

Turbomachinery Magazine – Oil & Gas, Petrochemical and Power Insights

LinkedIn

1rem

Podcasts

Myth Busters Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz discuss what AI is and isn’t, its shortcomings and strengths, and how it’s changing the turbomachinery and power generation industries. 

TurboTime Podcast: Turbomachinery in the Age of AI and ML

In part II of the two-part podcast on LNG, Myth Busters Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurtz dive into how liquefaction works, why there are so many different ways to liquefy natural gas, and some trends in the sector, such as smaller production facilities, floating offshore vessels, and an overgrowth in the industry.

 There are primarily two processes involved, and they aren't all that complicated. First, there's the reverse Rankine cycle. This cycle involves a phase change, which is similar to what occurs in a refrigerator or air conditioning unit. In this system, a refrigerant—such as propane or ethylene—flows through the cycle, and this process is also known as vapor compression. Typically, you have a compressor and a Joule-Thomson valve in this system. In theory, you could replace the Joule-Thomson valve with a liquid, and it is also possible to use a gas expander, although this is less common.

The second process is the ultra-reverse Brayton cycle, which operates solely with gas. This is akin to a gas turbine cycle in reverse, where you have both a compressor and an expander. This process can also utilize a Joule-Thomson valve, but it is more suited for a gas expander, as it provides a higher efficiency for energy removal. Generally speaking, gas vapor processes tend to be more compact because Brayton cycles are often more efficient. However, it's important not to generalize too much, as efficiency can depend heavily on the specific application.

 As Klaus has mentioned several times, achieving the right refrigeration temperatures in the cycle is crucial for closely matching the energy content of the gas being cooled. To do this, you typically select a specific refrigerant for the initial cooling phase—often propane or a mixed refrigerant. A mixed refrigerant is a combination of several gases designed to achieve a certain thermodynamic behavior.

In one or two stages, you can perform subcooling. This can be done using pure gases, such as ethylene for the first stage and methane for the second stage, or again, through a mixed refrigerant, which usually includes a blend of methane, ethylene, and propane, for example. This structured approach helps optimize the cooling process according to the desired outcomes.

Myth Busters Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz discuss how liquefaction works and dive into trends like smaller production facilities. 

TurboTime Podcast: Part II: LNG Trends, Liquefaction, and More

In part I of this two-part podcast, Myth Busters Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurtz give an overview of LNG’s value chain and dive, the production process, and the role of turbomachinery.

Let’s start with a basic overview of what LNG is and explore the value chain, including where turbomachinery plays a role.

 To begin with, let’s examine the entire natural gas value chain. This process starts with the production of natural gas, which then moves to processing facilities—often referred to as gas plants. After processing, the natural gas is transported to a liquefaction plant or LNG plant. This stage involves further processing, primarily refrigeration, followed by storage and loading onto marine transport vessels. Once the LNG is transported, it is unloaded and sent through pipelines to reach the end user.

The value chain includes a significant amount of turbomachinery. For every 1,000 horsepower of refrigeration in an LNG plant, there’s approximately 10,000 horsepower of other turbomachinery throughout the value chain.

On the production side, gas gathering machines are employed, followed by compression equipment for transporting gas to processing facilities. In gas processing, various operations occur, including acid gas removal, dehydration, and mercury removal, utilizing off-gas and boil-off compressors. There’s also the removal of natural gas liquids (NGLs)—which include heavier components like butane, pentane, and propane—that are sold as separate products.

After processing, the gas is transported through pipelines involving compression stations, and eventually, it reaches the LNG plant where refrigeration processes take place. These can include cascade types or mixed refrigerant processes, often utilizing reverse Brayton or reverse Rankine cycles (also known as vapor compression processes). From the plant, the LNG is stored, and off-gas or boil-off gas compressors are used again. Additional turbomachinery, such as pumps, is involved in the loading process.

Finally, the LNG undergoes regasification before being delivered to consumers. The entire process contains numerous turbomachines, which vary in size from small to large, and each plays a vital role.

The primary advantage of LNG is its ability to transport natural gas over long distances, far beyond what pipelines can accommodate. For example, transporting natural gas from North America to Europe via pipeline is impractical due to the complexity and length of the required infrastructure. By liquefying natural gas, which involves cooling it to approximately -260°F (where it condenses into a liquid), we significantly reduce its volume—making it about 600 times smaller than its gaseous state—allowing for easier transport. Once it reaches its destination, the LNG is regasified for use.

Currently, natural gas is abundant worldwide, making it an effective energy carrier. It’s important to note that during the LNG refrigeration process, there is some energy loss—typically around 15% to 20%. In comparison, the entire value stream experiences a lower energy loss of about 5%. Overall, while refrigeration is energy-intensive, the convenience of transporting natural gas as LNG justifies the process.

 The heart of the LNG production process is the refrigeration process, which cools the feed gas (natural gas) to temperatures where it becomes a liquid at or slightly above ambient pressure. There are several different methods to achieve the low temperatures necessary for liquefying natural gas.

It's important to note that the gases used in the refrigeration process operate in closed loops and do not come into contact with the natural gas being liquefied. The two main methods for achieving these low temperatures are called vapor compression and expansion.

Vapor compression is similar to the method used in air conditioners or refrigerators. In this process, a gas is compressed, which raises its temperature. The gas is then cooled to a lower temperature before being expanded, which causes it to drop to very low temperatures. At this point, it can be used to cool another gas, in this case, liquefied natural gas.

The second method involves compressing the gas and then expanding it through expanders to achieve very low temperatures. A key point, as Klaus highlighted, is that a significant portion of the energy consumption in the liquefaction process within the LNG value chain occurs during liquefaction itself. Therefore, minimizing energy use during this stage is crucial.

Typically, the refrigeration process is conducted in multiple stages. First, one refrigeration loop pre-cools the natural gas to a moderately cold temperature. Then, another process is used for sub-cooling, followed by a third method—either by reducing the pressure of the natural gas or through a separate process—to achieve complete liquefaction.

Additionally, constructing LNG plants requires a substantial increase in activity related to building the natural gas pipelines that supply these facilities with large volumes of gas.

Myth Busters Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz discuss the LNG value chain, where and how turbomachinery fits in, and an overview of the market. 

TurboTime Podcast: Part I: The LNG Value Chain

 deep dives into our recent State of the Industry survey results and the dynamic factors shaping the turbomachinery sector. We've gathered insights, identified trends, and asked about solutions on the persistent supply chain constraints, the impact of rising material costs, and the ongoing challenge of labor shortages and skill gaps. The in-depth market report also explores the adoption of modular solutions and the accelerating drive toward decarbonization, offering a comprehensive look at the challenges the industry is facing and its adapting and innovating in response to these dynamic conditions.

We are releasing a series of preliminary interviews related to our market report. The first interview features Ulrich Schmitz, Vice President of Marketing in the Gas and Processing Division at Atlas Copco. He discusses the pressing issues facing the turbomachinery industry and addresses the challenges outlined above. Additionally, he highlights the technological solutions that Atlas Copco is implementing to meet the growing power demands, particularly those driven by the expansion of AI and data centers.

Energy Industry Outlook: Strategies to Tackle Supply Chain Issues, Power Demand, and Decarbonization.

A few factors that are greatly impacting decisions within the turbomachinery industry are global economic conditions and energy market volatility. What conversations is Atlas Copco having around these factors? How are you navigating the volatility and uncertainty your customers are experiencing?

 Yes, that is true. The move toward climate change, reducing emissions, and creating cleaner energy began around 10 years ago, possibly even earlier during the Paris Agreement discussions. In recent years, we've witnessed considerable changes due to the pandemic, the invasion of Ukraine, and various other global conflicts. Additionally, we have changing administrations in the United States. All these factors are causing significant attention on projects, and investors are not moving as quickly as we would expect. We navigate this by maintaining close conversations with our customers to ensure we are aligned with their needs. We adapt our offerings and products to suit the conditions they face.

How are you responding to supply-chain constraints and rising material costs? What solutions are you offering your customers to combat these concerns?

 Rising material costs vary by geographical region. Energy costs drive material costs, and we’ve noticed increases in the Western world linked to higher energy expenses and supply-chain constraints caused by logistical bottlenecks. We address these challenges by leveraging our global footprint. We have factories in various regions, including the United States, Europe, and Asia, which provide us with a broad pool of qualified vendors. This approach also helps when tariffs are involved; we can produce more locally if we have suitable suppliers. That’s one of our key initiatives.

Have you seen an uptick in modular and mobile technologies to meet increasing power demands or even the use of smaller micro turbines? If not these, which types of technologies are being used to meet increased demand?

 Regarding power demand, we have indeed seen an increase. There’s a clear rise in electricity production for decarbonization and its use in processes and mobility, including the utilization of natural gas. Our equipment is primarily designed for permanent facilities, not mobile projects or plants. However, modularization is a way to reduce onsite work, which is beneficial in regions with high labor costs, such as the United States or Europe, compared to Asia. So, we are seeing modularization in this context.

How are decarbonization technologies advancing within your organization? What’s the demand for these technologies?

Decarbonization is definitely a driving force in our business, especially in the Western world, and it is increasingly gaining traction in Asia. It’s a crucial effort for society, industry, and for us as equipment suppliers.

One of the biggest challenges facing the industry today is labor shortages and skill gaps. How is Atlas Copco working with industry to close the gap and raise a skilled workforce?

We strive to attract young talent early in their careers. We engage with universities and participate in job fairs to entice young people and offer them opportunities within our company. We also utilize various social media channels to reach potential talent. Although we see positive outcomes from these efforts, we recognize that we cannot rely solely on this approach. We are also employing artificial intelligence to enhance efficiency and address potential labor shortages.

Listen to industry leaders discuss strategies

—collaborating with academia, partners, and networking—to cultivate a skilled workforce and address labor challenges.

Ulrich Schmitz of Atlas Copco discusses industry challenges and how it’s adapting offerings, leveraging its global presence, and embracing decarbonization and AI.

Atlas Copco Addresses Industry Challenges, Increasing Energy Demand

In part II of the TuboTime episode on designing turbomachines, the Myth Busters, Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz, discuss the accuracy of these design tools, which benchmark testing is still required, and current state-of-the-art tools.

How accurate are these tools? Are the software limitations a part of the software, or are they human input issues?

 It depends on the software, right? There are situations where you need to be fairly accurate. Most finite element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are reasonably accurate, depending on the input of your boundary conditions. You really need to consider what you're trying to accomplish. Structural FEA is more advanced than CFD. Additionally, the equations being solved are fundamentally more linear, and therefore, the expected results tend to be more precise. You can generally expect to be within a couple of percent. In contrast, with CFD, the equations, as Rainer mentioned earlier, the Navier-Stokes equations, are highly complex and nonlinear partial differential equations. These equations are difficult to solve, and you can end up with very inaccurate results because many approximations are made, especially regarding turbulence modeling and boundary layers. The fidelity of the model is essential since you can't delve down to a molecular level; there's a limit to the size at which you can operate before you must make turbulence assumptions and consider steady state versus transient conditions. There are numerous opportunities for error here, and those are some of the significant ones.

 The issue is fundamentally this: What problem are you trying to solve? If you ask a designer to create a new compressor stage that aligns with the experience level of that company's database, you can likely determine things like efficiency or head-making capability, particularly in terms of aerodynamics, probably within a few percent without ever testing it. However, if you are dealing with something for which there is no reference data—essentially operating in uncharted waters and relying solely on your code—the accuracy is significantly and dramatically lower than that.

How accurate are advanced computational tools like CFD and FEA? Find out in part II of designing turbomachines with the Myth Busters.

TurboTime Podcast: Designing Turbomachines - Part II

In this episode of the TurboTime podcast, Myth Busters Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz discuss the design of turbomachines. They describe the typical design process for a turbomachine, outline the required engineering tools, and explain each analytical tool's function: finite element analysis, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and rotor and blade dynamics. They also discuss how compressors, pumps, and turbomachines were designed before these advanced computational tools existed.

TURBO: Can you describe the typical design process of a turbomachine and what engineering tools are required?

 You begin with what's known as a 1D analysis, then move to a 2D analysis, also called a blade passage flow analysis. After that, you proceed to 3D and conduct some testing before refining your geometry. In essence, that's the aerodynamics part, right? However, there’s an initial step that is often overlooked, which is your own experience. You start your design based on your experience and your existing machinery portfolio. If you’re a turbomachinery manufacturer with 50, 60, or 70 years in the field, you’ve likely worked on various types of machines. Therefore, before designing a new machine, impeller, or expander, you review your existing portfolio; that's usually your starting point. You examine what's closest to your needs within that portfolio to determine if you can build upon it or if you need to start from scratch. Besides the aerodynamic design process, there's also a review of structures and dynamics that runs parallel to your aerodynamic process. You perform aerodynamic design followed by structural checks. Essentially, you assess the solids and dynamics to ensure there’s no risk of failure due to vibration. You conduct these evaluations throughout to avoid potential failures. These are generally well-known considerations. Additionally, a third aspect that often gets overlooked is manufacturability. It’s crucial to ensure that what you're designing can actually be manufactured, as it wouldn’t make sense to design an impeller or a machine that ultimately cannot be produced due to a lack of available technology or machinery. This consideration relates closely to materials, so manufacturability and materials fall into the same category, requiring a review of your materials, coatings, etc., throughout the design process to ensure that your design is feasible for production.

 I’d also like to point out that, as engineers, we don't design these machines out of thin air. There’s usually a use case, a customer, or a market assessment that indicates we need something that fits specific requirements. This could be a gas turbine that produces 20,000 horsepower or a compressor that can deliver more throughput than what my competitors can achieve within a given casing size, and so on. Then, we enter a process where engineering is asked, "Hey, can you guys do that?” Of course, someone also inevitably asks if we can achieve that at a cost that makes the project feasible. Yes, Klaus is absolutely right; this essentially defines the playground we work within. From there, we move from what could be considered a rough draft, using our experience, to increasingly refined concepts. Ultimately, you'll end up with some CFD simulations, and after building the first machine or prototype, there will be some testing to follow.

Do engineers overrely on computational tools? The Myth Busters deep dive into engineering tools, such as CFD and FEA, used to design turbomachines. 

TurboTime Podcast: The Turbomachinery Design Process - Part I

This episode of the TurboTime podcast features an onsite interview from our Turbo Tour of EthosEnergy’s Light Gas Turbine and Performance Center Facility in Houston. Assistant Editor James Cook talks with Daniel Tegtmeier, Director of EthosEnergy's Performance Center, about remote monitoring and operations, the changing energy landscape, and the benefits of remote start/stop and virtual capabilities.

Q: How does remote monitoring keep simple-cycle assets viable in a market focused on renewable energy?

 If you think about a machine built 20+ years ago and its efficiency, it still has a place in the market when competing with renewables. It’s not like it used to be though—these units used to run wide-open, 24/7. They’re now intermittent assets competing with renewables and zero-cost fuels, but once the wind stops blowing and the sun stops shining, that load is gone.

These are simple-cycle configurations, so they can come online quickly and be at 100 - 120 MW in less than an hour. So, you’re going to staff a facility 8,000 hours per year in case they call you up? That’s part of what we do and the justification for remote operations—you need the intermittent load from simple-cycle assets in rapid fashion, but you can’t afford to staff these places full-time.

Q: In addition to that justification, are there any safety improvements delivered through remote start/stop and control capabilities?

 Economics seems to drive most decision processes behind whether you’re remotely operating a facility or not; however, there’s a huge safety aspect. You don’t need people there 24 hours a day around equipment with a lot of pent-up energy, so exposure levels drop dramatically. For the most part, these machines are designed so well and over-engineered from day one that they’re conducive to [remote monitoring].

In this episode of the TurboTime podcast, Daniel Tegtmeier, Director of EthosEnergy’s Performance Center, talks about remote operations and monitoring. 

TurboTime Podcast: Remote Monitoring with EthosEnergy

In part two of this episode of the TurboTime Podcast, Klaus Burn of Ebara Elliott Energy, and Rainer Kurz of RKSBenergy LLC, discuss surge and choke on a compressor map. They explain where they occur on the map, what happens to the compressor when they operate in these extremes, and about transient operation of a compressor.

Brun explained surge: “On the left side of the map you have surge, and on the right side is choke, overload, or stonewall. The most basic definition of surge is the compressor head cannot overcome the system-imposed pressure, i.e., pressure on the outside on the suction and discharge, and the compressor is not making enough head to overcome that pressure differential. So instead of the flow moving forward through the compressor, the flow suddenly turns around and goes backward through the machine until that pressure balances again, at which point the machine can overcome that head. Then it starts a process again. And that becomes a circular process—you get into these surge cycles, and it's a fairly complex thing.”

Kurz emphasizes that surge is an interaction between the compressor and the system around it, “meaning the compressor by itself doesn't surge,” he said. “If the system forces the compressor to make more pressure ratio than under whatever conditions the compressor is going to make, then the gas thus what it wanted to do in the first place, which is go from the high pressure to low pressure, meaning it goes backward through the compressor. The tricky part with that is on the compressor map, we show what the compressor does. So, the map by itself and that surge line on the map is essentially something you derive from the compressor performance.”

The Myth Busters, Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz, talk about surge and choke on a compressor map. 

TurboTime Podcast: Part II: Surge and Choke with the Myth Busters 

In this two-part episode of the TurboTime Podcast, Klaus Burn of Ebara Elliott Energy, and Rainer Kurz of RKSBenergy LLC, discuss compressor maps. The duo explains what compressor maps are, what they are useful for, how they fit into the process, and where head, flow, and efficiency islands fit in.

“In its most basic form, a compressor map is a graphical representation of how a centrifugal compressor behaves,” Brun said. “It's somewhat of an oversimplification because more factors play into it; but overall, it gives an accurate representation of what a compressor does within the system that it operates. A standard compressor map has an X and Y axis. The Y axis has something called head—isentropic or polytropic head. Sometimes you also see pressure ratio or a discharge pressure or a fixed section pressure. On the X axis is flow, and most of the time it’s volumetric flow. Sometimes you see mass flow, but that's not very common. Compressor maps also have a surge line on the left and on the right side of the map you have a choke or stonewall area. And finally, you have efficiency islands, and they correspond to the efficiency of the compressor. Not all compressor maps show them.”

Kurz further described efficiency islands: “Efficiency islands refer to the fact that these maps are three-dimensional, but we can only put them in two dimensions on paper. The three axes you want to display are head, flow, and efficiency. You use the efficiency lines in a very similar way to elevation lines. Also, the coordinates of the map that are directly affected by the compressor aerodynamics are head and flow. You can translate head into pressures or pressure ratios, and you can translate actual flow into mass flow, but ultimately what happens aerodynamically in the compressor is described by head and actual flow.”

The Myth Busters, Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz, talk about compressor maps—what they are, how they are generated, and what they are useful for. 



TurboTime Podcast: Part I: Compressor Maps with the Myth Busters 

In this episode of the TurboTime Podcast, we talk with Giuseppe Tilocca, Scientific Officer at ETN Global, a non-profit member association in the gas turbine technology space. ETN Global’s recent global report, 

Decentralized Energy Systems: Toward Carbon-Neutral Energy Solutions for Gas Turbines

, compares decentralized systems to centralized heat and power units and highlights its advantages—including modularity, the possibility to exploit waste heat avoiding energy transmission losses, and reducing energy distribution costs. Tilocca reviews these advantages in detail, as well as trends and emerging market opportunities, and he dives into gas turbines and how they fit into decentralized energy systems.

“Considering this specific report, we all know that the energy sector is transforming very quickly, and it's mainly driven by the increasingly high share of renewable energy sources,” Ticolla said. “In this scenario, which is dominated by variable sources whose daily, weekly, and seasonal flexibility are set to go dramatically, to meet the system requirements while accomplishing the ambitious decarbonization goals, we need to support traditional centralized generation with a mix of the centralized components.”

So, how does ETN Global define decentralized energy systems, and what are their advantages?

“Historically, we established centralized energy systems, meaning large plants located far from consumers,” Tilocca explained. “The reason behind it is merely economy of scale and efficiency, so it is cheaper to have one big plant than many small ones; however, with the increasing integration of variable renewable energy sources, which are inherently decentralized, we now need to adapt our infrastructure and incorporate technologies that are traditionally used for centralized energy. By definition, a decentralized energy system is located close to the consumption nodes—so on the end user side of the network—and therefore it's connected to the distribution grid rather than the transmission grid. The advantages of a decentralized energy system are mainly modularity, the possibility of exploiting waste heat, and a positive contribution to stability. In particular, one of the main advantages of being close to consumption nodes is avoiding transmission and distribution losses and also costs compared to centralized generation. Centralized energy systems are pivotal in meeting the pillars of the energy trilemma, which stress the principles of affordability, security, and climate neutrality and hence it aligns with the requirements for the transition toward 2030 but also 2040 and 2050.”

ETN Global’s Scientific Officer, Giuseppe Tilocca, talks about the association’s recent report on decentralized energy systems—their advantages and challenges, trends, and where and how gas turbines fit in.  

TurboTime Podcast: Decentralized Energy Systems with ETN Global 

This win marks the company’s first overseas export deal for gas turbines, with Doosan Turbomachinery Services performing maintenance at its Houston-based location.

Doosan Enerbility Wins Contract to Deliver Two Gas Turbines for U.S. Tech Company

Train 5 is commercially supported by 4.5 MTPA of 20-year LNG sale and purchase agreements with JERA, EQT Corp., and ConocoPhillips, with completion slated for 2031.

NextDecade Submits Positive FID, Financial Close on Rio Grande LNG’s Train 5

The field’s advanced floating production, storage, and offloading vessel is equipped with high-pressure gas compression, combined-cycle power generation, and more.

ExxonMobil Begins Deepwater Production in Brazil’s Bacalhau Field

The HI field will increase the feedstock at Nigeria LNG through its Train 7 project, expanding the Bonny Island terminal’s production capacity and Shell’s global LNG volumes.

Shell, Sunlink Energies Submit Approval for Gas Project Offshore Nigeria

Although sealless pumps are optimal designs for ammonia applications, operational challenges may include monitoring the nitrogen purge and installing flexible conduits.

Q&A with Ebara Elliott Energy: Best Pumps for Ammonia Applications

Welcome to the seventeenth edition of the Turbomachinery News Network. I’m James Cook, associate editor at 

The Turbomachinery News Network, for the week of October 13, 2025, covers news from EthosEnergy, Mitsubishi Power, Ebara Elliott Energy, and Shell.

Turbomachinery News Network: EthosEnergy, Mitsubishi Power, Shell, and more

MEYER-Fabritech designated EthosEnergy Abu Dhabi as an 

 to service its entire API 16A product lines, which includes blowout preventers, spools and adapters, ram blocks, packers and top seals, annular packing units, bonnet seal kits/CRKs, and other spare parts. EthosEnergy Abu Dhabi, as an OEM-authorized repair facility, will service the company’s critical oil and gas safety systems.

Mitsubishi Power recently inaugurated the first-ever JAC gas turbine assembled in Saudi Arabia’s 

, representing a significant milestone in the company’s 60-year partnership with the Kingdom. This M501 JAC gas turbine will be delivered to the 475-MW Amiral Cogeneration Plant in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, supplying electricity and steam to Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical Co.’s petrochemical complex.

 at its manufacturing facility in Jeannette, PA, allowing EEE to perform full-speed, full-load testing of compressors and electrical equipment up to 100 MW (134,102 hp). EEE collaborated with First Energy on the extensive upgrade project, installing a new power line, main 138-Kv breaker, 100-MVA power transformer, and numerous capacitor banks.

Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production and Sunlink Energies approved the 

 for the HI gas project offshore Nigeria, lying in approximately 100 meters of water and 50 km from shore. Upon completion, the project will deliver 350 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, at peak production, to Nigeria LNG, which produces and exports LNG to global markets. Production is slated to begin before 2030.

Home Page Feature

Welcome to the sixteenth edition of the Turbomachinery News Network. I’m James Cook, associate editor at 

The Turbomachinery News Network, for the week of September 29, 2025, covers news from Mitsubishi Power, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Baker Hughes, bp, and Rotating Machinery Services.

Turbomachinery News Network: Mitsubishi Power, Baker Hughes, RMS, and more

Mitsubishi Power will deliver a 100-MW gas turbine combined-cycle power plant, driven by a 

, for Jiangsu Lihuai Steel’s plant in Huai’an City, China. The M100S turbine fires blast furnace gas and will be deployed as a core component of the GTCC plant. Jiangsu Lihuai Steel will begin GTCC operation in 2027, with the turbine and related equipment manufactured and supplied by Takasago Machinery Works.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries announced the world’s first commercial launch of a 30% 

hydrogen co-firing large-scale gas engine

. Since October 2024, KHI has been conducting operational verification at Kobe Works, testing an 8-MW gas engine power generation system that can co-fire natural gas mixed with up to 30% hydrogen as fuel. The verification, completed in September 2025, focused on hydrogen supply, maintainability, and other operational factors.

Bechtel Energy awarded Baker Hughes a contract to deliver 

 for Sempra Infrastructure’s Port Arthur LNG Phase 2 project in Jefferson County, TX. The supply scope includes four Frame-7 turbines and eight centrifugal compressors for two LNG trains, as well as two electric motor-driven compressors for the plant’s booster services. These new assets support a nameplate capacity of approximately 13 MTPA.

 in the Gulf of America. The new oil and gas production hub features a floating production platform with the capacity to produce 80,000 barrels of crude oil per day, including six wells in the Tiber field and a two-well tieback from the Guadalupe field. The 100% bp-owned hub will begin production in 2030.

Rotating Machinery Services officially opened an over 150,000-square-foot facility in Pasadena, TX, dubbed 

, within the Houston Ship Channel’s industrial corridor. It serves as a hub for end-to-end turbomachinery solutions like blade manufacturing, engineering, and field services. Also, BAB is the new headquarters of RMS’s Global Technology Services, hosting advanced laser scanning, virtual assembly, metrology, and other technology-driven capabilities in one location.

previous conversation with Ebara Elliott Energy

, Senior Mechanical Engineer August Brautigam offered a technical compare-and-contrast of canned motor pumps and magnetically coupled pumps for ammonia applications. Brautigam explains that each pump is suitable for specific services, with canned designs favoring high-pressure operation while magnetically coupled units perform better under higher flow, lower pressure operation.

Although these sealless units are preferable over traditional pumps for ammonia, there remain some operational challenges according to Brautigam: monitoring the nitrogen purge and installing flexible conduits, for example. He also offers process engineers and operators valuable insight as to which pump design may work best for their specific application.

While canned motor pumps are suitable for high-pressure ammonia applications, magnetically coupled pumps are typically deployed for higher flow, lower pressure services.

Ebara Elliott’s August Brautigam Gets Technical on Canned Motor, Magnetically Coupled Pumps

TURBO: Can you explain the main differences between canned motor pumps and magnetically coupled pumps for ammonia services?

 Canned motor pumps have a canned motor stator and they’re similar to submerged motor pumps, which have been used in LNG for a long time. The canned motor stator is wrapped in a thin layer of stainless steel, similar to tinfoil, to keep out the ingress of ammonia. This technology is very suitable for high-pressure applications.

The magnetically coupled pumps are a relatively straightforward design. The pump and motor are on separate shafts connected by a magnetic coupling, and, in this design, a pressure barrier separates the outer rotating magnets from the inner rotating magnets to create a contactless, sealless pump. These are typically used for higher flow and lower pressure applications.

TURBO: What operational challenges are most common when using sealless pumps in ammonia systems?

 The operational challenges associated with the retractable, magnetically coupled design include monitoring the nitrogen purge and installation is more challenging as purged flexible conduits must be installed. The flexible conduits are actually very stiff to work with, difficult to ship, and so on.

Conference Coverage

 century has presented a series of technological and market evolutions within the energy landscape, such as emerging artificial intelligence (AI), increased power demand causing delayed gas turbine lead times, and an overall focus on extending available assets. EthosEnergy navigates this landscape by adopting advanced remote monitoring and control technologies, as well as refurbishing existing units to keep power plants online.

Ana Amicarella, CEO of EthosEnergy, talks about the company’s latest generative AI integrations and how the updated 

 leverages advanced software to help operators diagnose failure modes in machinery data. Also, she details how EthosEnergy’s focus on maintenance, repair, and overhaul positively positions the company in a backed-up market.

With new power plants taking longer to come online, EthosEnergy helps customers extend their current assets through condition monitoring, refurbishment, and a commitment to efficiency.

EthosEnergy Thrives in Remote Monitoring, LNG, and Lifecycle Extension Markets

TURBO: What are the latest technical innovations in the remote monitoring and control market? How has EthosEnergy integrated these technologies?

It’s a great question, especially with all the recent changes in technology that AI has brought about. AI has been around for 20 years, and we’ve been using it for a very long time. We’ve stepped up our Performance Center, we’ve opened a new facility in Houston for the Performance Center and, when customers visit us, they’re really impressed.

Specifically, we’ve used advanced pattern recognition software (APRS) forever, so that’s been the staple of remote monitoring. Now, we’re using the next generation of monitoring which automatically diagnoses the causes of what APRS sees in the machine trend, then compares to all known failure modes and indicates what’s likely happening at the site.

Additionally, we’ve added high-speed start, stop, and shutdown modeling to critical machinery data. This ensures that our machines aren’t being operated beyond their design parameters. Next, we’re moving to integrate generative AI models.

TURBO: How have delayed gas turbine lead times affected EthosEnergy’s maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations? What is being done to counter this trend?

The delays on new gas turbines have actually affected us in a positive way. Customers are looking to extend their assets as new power plants take longer to come online. This has led to the additional usage of existing assets, which is our core business. Another huge benefit is refurbishing and moving units being sold at a premium, so these market dynamics have been good for us.

Welcome to the thirteenth edition of the Turbomachinery News Network. I’m James Cook, associate editor at 

The Turbomachinery News Network, for the week of September 1, 2025, covers news from Baker Hughes, Doosan Enerbility, Doosan Škoda Power, and Rolls-Royce.

Turbomachinery News Network: Baker Hughes, Doosan Enerbility, Rolls-Royce, and more

Fervo Energy contracted Baker Hughes to design and deliver 

 for five Organic Rankine Cycle power plants near Milford, UT. The company will deliver five 60-MWe ORC units and engineer, manufacture, and supply turboexpanders and BRUSH generators. The power generation project, dubbed Cape Phase II, will generate approximately 300 MW of clean power for the grid, or the equivalent power needed for about 180,000 homes.

 KRW 560 billion to build three LNG storage tanks and ancillary facilities, each with 270,000-kiloleter capacity, for the Dangjin LNG Terminal Phase 2 project in South Chungcheong, South Korea. Construction will begin in September 2025, with completion anticipated by December 2029.

Rolls-Royce Power Systems and Microsoft published a position paper evaluating 

 as a sustainable, alternative backup fuel for data centers in Singapore. The paper identifies and outlines several steps to full HVO adoption, in addition to other low-carbon fuels as replacements for fossil diesel in digital infrastructure. Compared to fossil diesel, HVO can reduce lifecycle CO

 emissions by up to 90%, adhering to Singapore’s Green Data Center Roadmap.

 Škoda Power €125 million to supply two 55-MW back-pressure steam turbines, a two-pole generator, and conduct project execution for its heat-and-power plant in Plock, Poland. The project’s civil works phase will modernize two turbine sets, units TG4 and TG5, with full completion scheduled for 2029.

Welcome to the twelfth edition of the Turbomachinery News Network. I’m James Cook, associate editor at 

The Turbomachinery News Network, for the week of August 25, 2025, covers news from Baker Hughes, ACWA Power, ConocoPhillips, Essential Utilities, and GE Vernova.

Turbomachinery News Network: Baker Hughes, ConocoPhillips, ACWA Power, and more

 for bp’s Tangguh LNG plant in Papua Barat, Indonesia, which covers spare parts, repair services, and field-service engineering support for the facility’s turbomachinery: heavy-duty gas turbines, steam turbines, and compressors for three LNG trains. Baker Hughes is cooperating with PT Imeco Inter Sarana, a local partner, to deliver local content per the agreement.

Oil & Gas

Latest News