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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

In this episode of the TurboTime podcast, Myth Busters Klaus Burn of Ebara Elliott Energy and Rainer Kurz of RKSBenergy LLC dive into electrification: what it is and debunk the myth that it and machines—such as hermetically sealed compressors and high-speed electric motor drives—hydrogen blending and others are decarbonized.

TURBO: Can you break down the assertion that that machinery electrification and electric-motor drives are a decarbonization myth?

 There are a lot of decarbonization myths that don’t just have to do with electrification and electric motors and hermetically sealed drives and high-speed motors, but they also have to do with hydrogen blending, unburned hydrocarbons and gas turbines, and other types of emissions that are part of the sustainable energy economy. What we set to do, however, is talk about electrification, which is basically when you take a turbomachine, a compressor or pump, and instead of running it with a driver—e.g., a gas or steam turbine, which has been done traditionally at a lot of compressor stations, pipelines, or in refineries, ethylene plants, or other places—you actually replace them with an electric motor. And, obviously, an electric motor does not have any emissions directly; it just shifts the responsibility of the carbon production from where you utilize the electric motor to where the electricity comes from. And the last time I checked, at least in most of the industrialized nations such as North America, 60% of all fossil electricity comes from fossil fuels, a mix of natural gas and coal. China actually has more—I think 70% of the electricity comes from fossil fuels, mostly coal, which is very dirty. Europe is not quite as bad. They now have about 40% alternative energies, but still a substantial part. So, you're really just shifting the carbon emission from one place to another, sometimes in a very, very inefficient way.

 In a way, this discussion is always about where you draw the emissions boundaries. Klaus is right: As soon as you can shift your emissions outside your boundaries, you can claim you are carbon-neutral, whereas, in reality, you just made somebody else deal with your carbon emissions. There are quite a few studies that address that one way or another and very clearly show if you make electricity while creating CO

 or other emissions, you may create more emissions with an electric driver than with a driver that’s driven by fossil-fueled engines.

Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz break down the myth that electrification and electric-motor drives are decarbonized. 

TurboTime Podcast: Debunking Machinery Decarbonization Myths

In this interview with Scott DeNeale, a Water Resources Engineer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, we discuss the lab’s current research projects in hydropower and trends such as low-head and modular designs and metal additive manufacturing to manufacture Francis turbines. The lab is working on a lot of exciting work, and even though hydropower has been around for 150 years, DeNeale said there is a lot of opportunity to complement new generation with environmental compatibility.

An interesting fact is that only 3% of the more than 90,000 damns in the United States use hydropower. Why? Listen to find out!

TURBO: Can you tell us a little about Oak Ridge National Lab?

 Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the largest multi-program science and technology laboratory in the United States. It's managed by UT Battelle but is owned by the U.S. Department of Energy. As part of my research, I do a lot of work for hydropower. The research and development that I do touch on a lot of different things. We look at grid integration, markets, reliability, performance, hydrology and hydraulics, water management, biodiversity and ecosystem science. We look at technological advancement as well.

TURBO: What recent advancements have you seen in turbomachinery used in hydropower technology and pumped storage hydropower technology?

 Conventional hydropower—what we would speak to is the age of the big dams is over, so a lot of what we're looking at is retrofitting existing dams, replacing units, or adding new units to existing dams. And there's an area looking at canals and conduits as well. So, some of the advancements that I've seen are really geared toward the existing infrastructure, which has largely low-head or low-pressure potential. It’s a little bit different design that is used to capture that design point. Another area is modular technologies and standard technologies. Conventionally, a lot of turbines are custom-built, so the ability to have a standard design that could be plug-and-play has been of interest. We've had some research over the past 10 years related to that, working with industry on advancing their concepts as well. 

For pumped storage … I would refer you to a report from some of my friends at Argonne National Laboratory. They have done some great documentation of innovations—a lot of it's conceptual for pump storage but some cool innovations there. However, there has been no new pump storage since 2012. And, even with that, that was a very small project. So, since the mid-nineties, there really hasn’t been much of anything in terms of new pump storage, but there is a great demand for it.

Scott DeNeale of Oak Ridge National Lab shares trends in hydropower—from modular designs to additive-manufactured Francis turbines. 

TurboTime Podcast: Modular and Low-Head Designs are Trending in Hydropower 

In this episode of the TurboTime Podcast, Myth Busters Klaus Burn of Ebara Elliott Energy, and Rainer Kurz of RKSBenergy LLC, discuss root-cause analysis (RCA), including what it is, the philosophy and methodologies behind it, what actions should and should not be taken, and more.

Brun said: “RCA, some folks call it root-cause failure analysis, looks at something that failed: Your machine had a catastrophic failure, or you’re missing performance by a percent or two—something is not as you would expect in a compressor or gas or steam turbine, and you want to figure out what it is. So, you perform an RCA based on certain symptoms. In most cases, RCA starts with a review of the machine’s operation that may have preceded the failure and in some cases a metallurgical investigation, which is one of the best indicators as to what failed. It can indicate it was high-cycle fatigue, sudden overload, corrosion or erosion, for example. Then you figure out what excitation may have caused the high-cycle fatigue or what in your process gas may have caused corrosion or erosion.”

Kurz said: “In a way, this is a bit like a detective story. You find something failed, aka the dead body, and then you gather evidence. One of the key things in root-cause failure analysis is that you not only gather evidence, but you also document it. One of the key problems when these reports are written is you have a failure in 2015, for example, and you conduct an RCA, and the next similar failure isn’t for another 10 years. (These events don’t happen that often.) And if you haven't documented what you did for the first one, you can’t use it as a starting point.”

Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz discuss root-cause analysis—what it is, its methodologies, and why it’s so important to managing turbomachines.

TurboTime Podcast: Root Cause Analysis with the Myth Busters 

During this episode of the TurboTime Podcast, Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz discuss how hydrogen is transported and its use as an energy carrier. They then discuss how ammonia is produced, its advantages and limitations, and for what industries it’s a suitable solution.

“We’ve previously talked about hydrogen in some of our Myth Buster podcasts and how it’s relevant to a decarbonized energy economy as an energy carrier. Unfortunately, hydrogen itself has a lot of nasty characteristics: it's hard to compress, highly flammable, as a gas it’s not easy to deal with, etc. From a transportation and storage perspective, it leaks, has many safety issues, causes hydrogen embrittlement, etc., making it difficult to transport.”

“Making ammonia is nothing new. We know how to how the process works, but it is an energy-intensive process. But ammonia is a very toxic gas. It causes skin burns rapidly if you touch it in liquid form. In vapor form, even at less than 100 PPMs, it’s very irritating, so it creates a lot of issues from the handling perspective.”

In this episode of the TurboTime podcast, Myth Buster Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz discuss ammonia. 

TurboTime Podcast: Ammonia with the Myth Busters

The company will execute reconstruction while six installed machines, boilers, and other equipment remain in full operation, presenting a challenge that requires extensive coordination.

Doosan Škoda Power Supplies Back-Pressure Turbines for Plock Plant

The large-scale permanent carbon sequestration facility, under the CarbonSAFE initiative, will store CO2 from industrial emitters across the Mountain West region.

Frontier Infrastructure Drills Second Well at Sweetwater Carbon Storage Hub

Kawasaki Heavy Industries seeks to identify the various origins of hydrogen production, in addition to tracking carbon intensity across the co-fired, nuclear, and green typologies.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries Uses Demonstration Tests to Verify Hydrogen Origin, Emissions

The Military University of Technology in Warsaw, Poland, will use GE Aerospace’s course material and training to support F110-GE-129E engine maintenance.

GE Aerospace to Expand Engine Training, Build Manufacturing Lab in Poland

Building out the Dangjin LNG storage tank infrastructure aligns with South Korea’s plan to improve domestic LNG supplies and may be completed by December 2029.

Doosan Enerbility Wins Contract to Build LNG Storage Tanks in South Korea

With users wanting to extend their power assets and avoid ever-climbing component lead times, EthosEnergy’s Operations & Maintenance (O&M) division is attracting significant opportunities on an international level. Across the 

, and more, the O&M business is ensuring that power plants run safely, efficiently, and reliably on a daily basis through maintenance, monitoring, and optimizing equipment lifecycles.

Ana Amicarella, CEO of EthosEnergy, commented on these O&M wins and another major move: the acquisition of Turbine Services Ltd. (TSL). Per Amicarella, TSL allows the company to counter delays with one-stop-shop capabilities and represents the change needed in the turbomachinery industry—readily accessible parts to support power demand.

Turbine Services Ltd. allows EthosEnergy to shorten component lead times, while the Operations & Maintenance division’s success is credited to reliability and consistency.

EthosEnergy Highlights TSL Acquisition, O&M Performance in 2025

TURBO: What was the strategic intent behind the TSL acquisition? Will there be more acquisitions by EthosEnergy? If yes, what is the focus area?

We closed TSL just a few months ago, and we’re excited to have them as a key strategic addition to our portfolio. It allows us to give customers a one-stop-shop with reduced lead times and quick access to an inventory of parts. We also have faster quoting time, as we’re no longer a third-party pricing provider when responding to bids. We believe that we’re now a faster, very reliable partner for our customers. It was a great add and these people have integrated and performed phenomenally.

TURBO: What’s the driver behind recent wins for EthosEnergy’s O&M division? Why is the company winning in this area?

Our O&M is a top-performing division, even when compared to the competition. There is not a close second in terms of the reliability and consistency of performance, so the uptick we see is customers recognizing that. We have OEMs asking us to take over their portfolio of O&M contracts. On top of that, we’ve added resources to the front of our business and taken it international.

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.

ACWA Power, the Saudi Electricity Co., and Korea Electric Power Corp. reached 

 for the Rumah 1 and Nairyah 1 integrated power-plant projects. Saudi Power Procurement Co. invested approximately USD $4 billion in the projects and will manage project tendering and power purchasing.

 signed a 20-year sale and purchase agreement for 4 MTPA of LNG from the Port Arthur LNG Phase 2 development project in Jefferson County, TX. The PALP 2 development project will feature two liquefaction trains that produce approximately 13 MTPA of LNG. This phase increases the Port Arthur LNG facility’s total liquefaction capacity to about 26 MTPA. 

Per an agreement with International Electric Power III, Essential Utilities will invest $26 million in a 1,400-acre 

 in Greene County, PA. The company’s subsidiary, Aqua, will also design, build, and operate an 18 million gallon-per-day water treatment plant connected to the power plant and data center. The Greene County project may come online in Q1 2029, with Essential Utilities and IEP already securing manufacturing slots for gas turbines. The turbines will be delivered in 2028.

GE Vernova is investing 16.2 million CAD to upgrade its hydropower manufacturing 

 in Quebec, Canada. The project includes expanding the site by approximately 20% and installing new equipment for large-scale component manufacturing.

Since May 2025, numerous companies have enlisted EthosEnergy’s maintenance, repair, overhaul, and operations services as the industry prepares for exponential power demand. Customers in Rhode Island, the Dominican Republic, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and other locations are relying on EthosEnergy to extend the lifetime of their power assets, especially in light of increasing turbine-lead times.

For example, EthosEnergy signed a multi-year operations and maintenance agreement with the 

, a two-by-one combined-cycle gas turbine power plant in Providence, Rhode Island.The facility, commissioned in 2002 with a nominal output of 596 MW, is powered by two SGT6-5000F gas turbines and one GE D11 steam turbine.

, Ltd., a 50-year-old New York-based manufacturer and supplier of aftermarket parts for heavy-duty gas and steam turbines.

Ana Amicarella, CEO of EthosEnergy, joined 

 to discuss her company’s role in this evolving energy landscape and more, including its acquisition by One Equity Partners (OEP), remote monitoring and control, LNG, and growth drivers. Amicarella said that EthosEnergy will continue servicing customer assets, with new acquisitions and growth strategies bolstering this market role.

According to the CEO, EthosEnergy addresses long gas turbine-lead times and increasing power demand through maintenance, repair, overhaul, and lifecycle extension.

EthosEnergy’s Ana Amicarella Talks Acquisitions, Growth, and Market Opportunities

TURBO: How has the acquisition by OEP helped EthosEnergy?

It’s been a wonderful experience. They are very intelligent people, quick with decision making, supportive of us, and have a very acquisitive culture. They’re interested in how we move things forward and how we make ourselves better. It’s been a terrific partnership so far.

TURBO: Are there any changes to EthosEnergy’s strategic approach, growth drivers, etc.?

Due to the acquisition appetite of our new shareholders, we’ve had an opportunity to re-evaluate our strategy. We’re looking at the entire portfolio and what things could be added. The last acquisition we made gives you an idea of the speed we’re moving. This is a perfect opportunity for us to review what makes sense for the portfolio and what doesn’t. It allows us to align with the market and focus on what we’re good at.

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

The Turbomachinery News Network, for the week of August 18, 2025, covers news from Duke Energy, GE Vernova, Solvanic, and Pacifico Energy.

Turbomachinery News Network: Duke Energy, GE Vernova, Solvanic, and Pacifico Energy

Duke Energy submitted its last license application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and, if approved, the 

Bad Creek Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Station

 will continue operation for 50 years. Bad Creek, near Salem, SC, features four upgraded units that generate 1,680 MW of carbon-free energy for about 860,000 consumers, serving as Duke Energy’s largest battery since 1991.

 in the Schenectady Center of Excellence for Steam and Generator, expanding generator, assembly, and testing capacities and adding up to 50 new positions to meet global demand. The investment will enhance manufacturing for GE Vernova’s H65 and H84 generators, which are coupled with efficient HA gas turbines.

Solvanic started a front-end engineering and design study for its 

electrochemically mediated amine regeneration

 carbon-capture technology at Coastal Bend LNG on Texas’ Gulf Coast—a multi-train natural gas liquefaction and export facility. The EMAR technology utilizes an electrochemical process that releases amine-captured CO

 with electricity, as opposed to the high-temperature steam of typical thermal amine systems.

 in Pecos County, TX, an off-grid power complex designed to support hyperscale data centers and advanced AI. The project, in development since 2024, is located on over 8,000 acres and generates 5 MW of power with high-efficiency gas turbines and battery storage.

Turbomachinery News Network: Duke Energy, GE Vernova, Solvanic, and more

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

The Turbomachinery News Network, for the week of August 11, 2025, covers news from Rolls-Royce, FS-Elliott, ConocoPhillips, Everllence, and TerraFixing.

Rolls-Royce Unveils G06, FS-Elliott Launches P650 DF, ConocoPhillips Deploys Optimized Cascade, Everllence Forms Methanol Partnership, Canada Builds Carbon Capture

MTU Yuchai Power, a joint venture between Rolls-Royce and Yuchai Diesel, finalized production for the new mtu 

 at its Suzhou, China facility. Rolls-Royce signed multiple contracts with regional power generation OEMs and will deliver engines shortly. It is specifically designed for mission-critical operations, demonstrating increased power density, optimized fuel efficiency, and reliability.

FS-Elliott a dual-inlet, double-flow centrifugal air compressor—dubbed the 

—applicable to industries such as biofermentation, pneumatic conveying, petrochemical and refinery operations, chemical production, water treatment, and industrial gas. For high-flow, low-pressure operations, the P650 DF demonstrates high capacity within a compact, oil-free, and cost-effective design.

Coastal Bend LNG, a planned 22.5 MTPA natural gas liquefaction and export facility in Ingleside, TX, will use 

 process technology upon commercial start-up. Situated along Texas’ Gulf Coast, the planned development includes several natural gas liquefaction trains, cogeneration capability, LNG storage tanks, and export facilities.

Everllence and MEYER RE are partnering to develop and advance 

Power Generation

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