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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 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 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 

Myth Busters Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz join the TurboTime podcast to chat about additive manufacturing. They dive into its history in the industry, its advantages as a viable technology, its limitations, and new advancements that could drive the technology further.

Brun explained: “About 40 years ago, additive manufacturing technology started coming out based on using materials such as polymers and resins that were heated up and layered on top of each other using some kind of robotic arm or plotter that in the 3D space. It wasn’t all that relative from a turbomachinery perspective at the time because yes, you could use that to make a mold for a cast, but other than that, it wasn’t realistic. About 20 years ago, we started seeing additive manufacturing using metals. There are a number of techniques, but the most popular ones are direct metal sintering or selective metal-laser sintering—these techniques are when you have a layer of metal and a heat source, and you put the heat source on the powder-metal layer to create a 3D geometry in 3D space. That technique has developed over the last 20 years—it came out with lots and lots of promises, some of which held up while other promises didn't hold up."

“From a turbomachinery perspective, there are many parts in a compressor, for example, or a gas or steam turbine, that are relatively standard pieces; you would probably not use additive manufacturing for those pieces because they're always the same, so you would cast them or quickly machine them. But then there are certain pieces that are either very intricate in geometry, so they require many smaller pieces to be put together or that are customized like impellers for centrifugal compressors. So here, theoretically, additive manufacturing should have an advantage because additive manufacturing provides you with the potential to build customer parts.” 

What’s the history of additive manufacturing, how is it used to manufacture turbomachines, and does it really have a future in the turbo industry? Find out more from the Myth Busters in this episode of the TurboTime Podcast. 

TurboTime Podcast: Additive Manufacturing with the Myth Busters 

In this episode of the TurboTime podcast, we talk about geothermal power generation with Joseph Bonafin, sales and business development manager at Turboden, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group. We dive into the history of geothermal power, how it’s grown over the past 20 - 25 years, and how it fits into the decarbonization journey. We also look at what’s next for geothermal power generation.

Bonafin said there are several innovations in the pipeline for Turboden and geothermal power: “The integration of organic Rankine cycle (ORC) technology with other innovative geothermal technologies, such as enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), closed-loop geothermal systems, and lithium extraction from geothermal brine, can improve efficiency, sustainability, and economic viability.

“EGS generates electricity from hot dry rock locations, enhancing the heat exchange by circulating clean water through artificially engineered fractures. This efficiently converts moderate temperature into electricity, expanding the geographic applicability of ORC projects to previously inaccessible heat sources, especially for large-scale projects.

“Closed-loop geothermal systems provide environmentally friendly alternatives by creating a thermosyphon effect by drilling multiple lateral wells underground. Integrating ORC with closed-loop systems minimizes the environmental impact and reduces water consumption,” he continued.

“Lithium extraction from geothermal brine, crucial for electric batteries, is a sustainable source. ORC technology works as a cooler for the lithium extraction process in the shared infrastructure, contributing to a more economically viable and environmentally friendly process. Sale of electricity is added on top to the additional revenue stream coming from lithium extraction, promoting a cleaner and more profitable energy supply chain.

“In summary, the amalgamation of ORC technology with EGS, closed-loop systems, and lithium extraction from geothermal brine creates a holistic approach to geothermal energy production. This synergy enhances diverse resource utilization, promotes environmental sustainability, and contributes to the production of rare materials required for emerging technologies. This integrated approach underscores geothermal energy's potential in a sustainable and diversified global energy portfolio.”

Joseph Bonafin, sales and business development manager at Turboden, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group, joins the TurboTime podcast to discuss geothermal power generation.  

TurboTime Podcast: Geothermal Power Generation with Turboden

Myth Busters Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz join the TurboTime podcast to talk about turbomachinery factory and field testing—why are turbomachines tested, what’s standard, what’s extra, are the costs really worth it, uncertainty versus accuracy testing, different types of compressor-performance tests, how to test a gas and a steam turbine, and when is a full-string test necessary?

Brun explained: “When you make a machine of any kind, before delivering it to a customer, you want to make sure it actually functions, so standard tests are performed and then there are additional tests that some customers may require. Complex turbomachines—compressors, gas turbines, steam turbines, and even pumps—require some kind of factory testing to make sure the machine meets the basic functionality, it doesn't fly apart, and it performs at a certain level. From there, it gets a little more complicated, as each machine is different. For example, a gas turbine performance test can be performed in the factory or the field. In the factory, a prescribed test by API 616 could be used.

“A field test is a fundamentally different test where the machine is already installed, commissioned, started up, and sent to some engineers or technicians in the field to test under the conditions that may not necessarily be identical to the conditions that the machine was originally designed for or contractually agreed to or under factory testing conditions, so it's a more challenging test.”

In this episode of the TurboTime podcast, Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz discuss turbomachinery factory and field testing—what they are good for, cost, and more. 

TurboTime Podcast: Factory and Field Testing with the Myth Busters

During this episode of the TurboTime podcast, we discuss digital ecosystems with Jim Nyenhuis, the Performance Consultant at Emerson’s Power and Water Solutions Business. We focus on software, including AI-based software, detection and monitoring technologies, software’s influence on a turbomachine’s life, as well as cybersecurity and potential risks that power plants are exposed to.

Q: How does a digital ecosystem improve operational efficiency, plant safety, etc.?

 Digital technologies allow us to address all those issues. We work with customers to understand what operational efficiency means to them based on their objectives. Plant safety is without question built into everything we do. We want to understand and leverage what the underlying technology can tell us and let that information feed up through the digital ecosystem—how do we understand what's working well at the plant level, how do we identify if there are control problems or if individual pieces of equipment are having issues? A lot of that information is lying within the automation infrastructure, and I don't think we've leveraged that to the degree we want to. We find many customers do not understand the performance characteristics of their closed-loop controls or areas to drive additional improvement, efficiencies, etc.

Performance and control management is another big area that we look at. Our information, such as the automation system, will oftentimes track what operators are doing within the system. In the past, that information was stored in text-based logs, but there's a lot of valuable information stored in those log files that if we expose that information, we can understand how operators are interfacing with the system during different periods of operation, be it startup, shut down, various operating modes, etc., and based on that we can determine where operators are spending a lot of their time.

In this episode of the TurboTime podcast, we talk about digital ecosystems, including AI-based software, cybersecurity, and more with Jim Nyenhuis from Emerson. 

TurboTime Podcast: Software & Cybersecurity with Emerson 

In this episode of the TurboTime podcast, the Myth Busters, Klaus Brun, the Director of R&D at Elliott Group, and Rainer Kurz, a recent retiree from Manager of Gas Compressor Engineering at Solar Turbines, discuss turbomachinery codes and standards. The two differentiate codes versus standards, which are important for turbomachinery, and what to do if an operator or manufacturer disagrees with a standard.

Brun broke down the four components: standards, codes, specifications, and guidelines. “A standard is somewhat of a generic requirement; you can almost call it the minimum requirement that industry associations agree on for a piece of equipment,” he said. “There's a lot of gray area between here. Next are specifications—they are often related to a specific customer—one of the major oil companies may have its own specifications, and they often tie in standards. For example, let's say Shell or Chevron has their own machinery specification, and they may refer to standards, such as American Petroleum Institute (API) 616 or the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) standards, material standards, etc. And then you get into things like codes, where the gray area becomes even bigger. But codes traditionally refer to something a little stricter. These can be test codes, where there is a process that you have to follow, and you don't deviate from this process. There are codes related to OSHA requirements or legal requirements. Codes tend to be a little more rigid, more relevant, and more richly followed. Finally, there are industry guidelines from the API and other professional societies. They give advice and guidance on how to handle testing processes, design, etc.”

Kurz stressed that standards are not legally enforceable unless included in a purchasing agreement: “What makes a standard enforceable is if a customer in the purchase specifications says ‘Thou shalt follow such and such API requirement or these ASME standards.’ And then it becomes part of the contract and enforceable” he said.

Kurz also pointed out that one purpose of codes and standards is for system integration. “If you build a refinery, there's one manufacturer who builds the compressor, then there are people who build the pressure vessels, others who build the piping, and maybe the steam turbines. So, there are a lot of different parties involved that have to come together. And one thing that these codes and standards do is create a reasonable definition of the interfaces. At the end of the day, somebody needs to integrate all that equipment.”

The Myth Busters, Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz, discuss turbomachinery codes and standards on the TurboTime podcast. 

TurboTime Podcast: Turbomachinery Codes and Standards with Myth Busters

Explore how blade dynamics, velocity triangles, and flow path analysis help operators achieve higher efficiency and reliability in steam turbines.

Steam Turbine Optimization for Mechanical Drive Applications – Part 1

The September/October 2025 issue covers steam turbine optimization, a pump-centric conversation with the Hydraulic Institute, hybrid grid technology for stabilization, and much more.

Turbomachinery International: September/October 2025

In addition to servicing critical oil and gas safety systems, EthosEnergy’s Approved Repair Facility designation will enable faster turnaround times and localized support.

EthosEnergy Abu Dhabi Receives Approval to Repair MEYER-Fabritech Safety Systems

The refurbishment covers engineering studies, manufacturing, on-site dismantling, installation, and long-term maintenance operations for Unit 1 at Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant.

Arabelle Solutions Obtains Contract to Refurbish Turbogenerator at Nuclear Plant

Cape Station’s Phase II engineering and procurement scope includes Turboden’s turbines and control system, expected to generate 300 MWe of power following delivery in 2028.

Turboden America Supplies Geothermal Equipment for Cape Station Project

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 6, 2025, covers news from Turboden America, Siemens Energy, Ansaldo Energia, Everllence, and Rolls-Royce.

Turbomachinery News Network: Turboden, Ansaldo Energia, Siemens Energy, and more

 for Fervo Energy’s Cape Station geothermal project in Utah. Turboden will deliver equipment for three 60-MWe Organic Rankine Cycle units, totaling 180 MW of clean dispatchable power. With an additional three Gen-2 units, Turboden’s technology will generate 300 MWe of power at the Cape Station site, forming one of the largest geothermal installations globally.

Siemens Energy will deliver 10 large-scale gas turbines and associated generation equipment to support Xcel Energy’s 

, reinforcing grid reliability in its Southwest service territory. The new facilities will add 2,088 MW of dispatchable generation capacity, providing flexible on-demand power during peak usage and turbulent market conditions.

 combined-cycle power plant, including modifications to the gas turbine, steam turbine, and generator. The project, completed within the agreed-upon timeframe, improved operational flexibility and allowed the plant to operate with up to 25% hydrogen. Prior to the upgrades, the company anticipated a 43-MW power increase, 0.9% efficiency improvement, and a reduction of over 10,000 tons of CO

MITSUI E&S and Everllence unveiled the first TCT turbocharger to be produced under license domestically—the 

. In 2022, MITSUI agreed to build Everllence’s TCT axial-turbocharger series to replace older turbocharger models for two-stroke engines. The TCT40 features a newly developed radial compressor and axial turbine tested with the latest simulation technologies, establishing a compact and lightweight turbocharger design.

Beginning in 2026, Rolls-Royce will launch an updated 

 for the 60-Hz market. With a new fast-start capability, the genset will deliver 2.8 MW in 45 seconds to power data centers and stabilize the grid. Compared to the previous model, performance has been increased by 10% and the genset does not require a gearbox, allowing data center operators to achieve notable space savings. Rolls-Royce’s fast-start engines can supply emergency power in data centers, but also continuous power in combination with diesel models.

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

The Turbomachinery News Network, for the week of September 22, 2025, covers news from Rolls-Royce, Doosan Enerbility, Everllence, and Siemens Energy.

Turbomachinery News Network: Siemens Energy, Everllence, Doosan Enerbility, and more

The European Union’s Clean Aviation program nominated Rolls-Royce to lead a project regarding decarbonized aviation—one of 12 under the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking with approximately €945 million in funding. The company will lead the 

, which will execute ground testing for an UltraFan technology demonstrator in the short-to-medium range thrust class.

Doosan Enerbility and Korea Southern Power

 recently signed a memorandum of understanding to secure technological self-reliance for the local engineering and manufacturing of pumped-storage hydropower plant components. Doosan will secure these components via partnerships with leading players, while KOSPO provides demonstration sites for locally manufactured products and develops sales channels.

The China National Electric Engineering Co. granted Everllence a contract to deliver four high-efficiency, 18-cylinder 51/60DF engines for a 74-MW 

 in Nouakchott, Mauritania. Each 51/60DF engine generates 18.5 MW of electric power and commissioning is scheduled for completion by late 2026.

 have partnered to commission a 10-MW, gas engine-operated power plant with a carbon-capture system in Worksop, United Kingdom. For the Worksop plant, Rolls-Royce delivered six combined heat-and-power units based on its mtu Series 4000 L64FNER gas engines and will guarantee the plant’s reliable operation via a 10-year maintenance contract.

Fermi America and the Texas Tech University System are signing 

 with Siemens Energy to obtain 1.1 GW of F-class generation equipment for delivery in 2026 and integrate the company’s nuclear steam turbine technologies for a planned 11-GW AI campus. The AI campus aims to pair reliable and quick-to-deploy natural gas generation with nuclear power and modern infrastructure, providing a template for the United States to meet rapidly increasing energy demand from AI and high-performance computing.

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

The Turbomachinery News Network, for the week of September 8, 2025, covers news from GE Vernova, Mitsubishi Power, Rolls-Royce, and NextDecade.

Turbomachinery News Network: GE Vernova, Mitsubishi Power, NextDecade, and more

The Electricity Supply Board of Ireland contracted GE Vernova to execute a life extension and modernization project at the 

, installing its GT26 high-efficiency upgrade and SEMIPOL, static excitation equipment, and startup frequency converter technology. The project intends to improve performance, reliability, output, and support Ireland’s energy transition goals. Completion is slated for 2026.

In cooperation with Doosan Enerbility, Mitsubishi Power will deliver two M701 JAC gas turbines and auxiliary equipment for Petrovietnam’s 1,155-MW 

 gas turbine combined cycle plant in Can Tho, South Vietnam. The O Mon 4 power plant, once operational, will generate stable electricity for the Mekong Delta region under the Block B – O Mon gas-to-power project.

 expanded their international partnership by signing a new collaboration agreement, allowing them to engage with the Edgewing joint venture for the Global Combat Air Program. Through these collaborations, the partners aim to accelerate the development of power and propulsion systems for next-generation fighter aircraft. Currently, they are progressing on the engine demonstrator, technologies for additive manufacturing, cooling systems, high-pressure compressor design, and more.

The Taiwan Power Co. also granted Mitsubishi Power and CTCI a $5.2 billion contract to execute a full turnkey project at its 2,800-MW 

 in Miaoli County, Taiwan. Mitsubishi Power will deliver five units with M501 JAC gas turbines, steam turbines, and auxiliary equipment, while CTCI performs engineering, procurement, and construction and balance-of-plant work for the project.

NextDecade completed the positive final investment decision and closed financial transactions for 

 at Rio Grande LNG, with the company also progressing Train 5 toward FID in Q4 2025. NextDecade issued Bechtel Energy full notice to proceed with turnkey engineering, procurement, and construction on Train 4 and associated assets.

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.

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.

 surveyed its readers about the state of the industry. One recurring challenge in our readers’ responses was labor shortages and skill gaps.

At Tubo Expo 2025, held June 17-18 in Memphis, Tennessee, we asked industry leaders about how they are collaborating with partners and academia, and networking at conferences to build a skilled workforce and address shortages.

Hear insights from Antonio Escamilla Perejon, Client Relationship Manager at ETN Global; Tim Allison, Director of R&D in the Machinery Department of Southwest Research Institute; Dr. Eric Petersen, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas A&M, Angelique Vesey, Senior Director of TEC Strategy & Operations at ASME; and Susan Scofield, VP of Business Operations for North America at Siemens Energy.

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

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

Building a Skilled Turbomachinery Workforce: Collaboration and Innovation

to listen to Ulrich Schmitz, Vice President of Marketing in the Gas and Processing Division at Atlas Copco, discuss pressing issues facing the turbomachinery industry. 

Conference Coverage

Susan Scofield, a co-curator for the Celebrating Women in Turbomachinery program at Turbo Expo 2025, shared her insights on how the industry can and does support women in the industry. Scofield is also the Vice President of Business Operations for North America at Siemens Energy, Vice Chair of the IGTI Strategy Department, and Executive Conference Chair of the Turbo Expo Organizing Committee.

At Turbo Expo 2025, Susan Scofield of Siemens Energy says great role models, mentoring programs, and building networks support women in turbomachinery. 

How Industry Can Support Women in Turbomachinery

How can the industry support and uplift women in turbomachinery?

Going into it, sometimes you fall into a great role model—a great mentor who gives you that boost of courage or just shows you what the future possibility is like. Other times, you have to be intentional around it. We have great opportunities with things like the ASME mentoring program and the Young Student Advisory Committee, which promotes what jobs and careers could look like in turbomachinery. And then sometimes you get lucky with professors like Jackie O'Connor at Penn State, who are just fantastic and do awesome work. You then get a chance to showcase what you've learned and build a bridge into an industry of what the future possibilities could be like for your own career. So, building these networks in the places that do exist—there are places that exist with a lot of great opportunity—is a key to helping the next generation of women and men be fantastic in the turbomachinery industry.

 to hear the biggest challenges for women working in the turbomachinery industry. 

At Turbo Expo 2025, Michael Smiarowski, Manager Steam Turbine Modernizations at Siemens Energy, shared with 

 the most common challenges in the steam turbine market and dove into key technological advancements in modernization projects to extend asset life and increase performance.

Michael Smiarowski of Siemens Energy says the steam turbine market is managing unprecedented demand, so advanced implementation planning is key.

Siemens Energy Optimizes Its Resources to Meet Steam Turbine Market Demand 

What are the most common challenges in modernizing aging steam turbine fleets, and what solutions is Siemens Energy employing to overcome them?

Our current challenge is primarily related to marketplace demand. We are experiencing unprecedented activity in this industry. I have been in the steam turbine business for nearly 38 years, and the current market is very active. The main challenge we face is supporting customers who have a target implementation date for their projects. If they want to complete installations within the next three years, they must start discussions with us and begin planning now. Advanced planning from the customer's side is essential.

On our end, Siemens Energy is focused on managing our resources effectively. We have a finite amount of engineering, project management, and project development talent available for these projects. As customers reach out to us, we need to prioritize their requests and respond accordingly.

What key technological advancements is Siemens Energy implementing in modernization projects to extend asset life or boost performance?

A steam turbine modernization project that replaces the steam path is a typical project, which essentially resets the life of the critical and highly stressed components—the rotating element as well as the stationary blading of a steam turbine. Where we can, we optimize the steam path to your existing steam conditions to get the best possible efficiency. Over the years, there have been advances in blade design, ceiling design, materials, etc., that boost efficiency as well as the unit’s lifetime.

If you implement a steam turbine modernization, you’re getting the latest and greatest technology. In addition to efficiency and lifetime extension, modernization enables longer inspection intervals and boosts reliability.

 to hear Smiarowski discuss what's driving steam turbine modernizations. 

At Turbo Expo 2025, Michael Smiarowski, Manager Steam Turbine Modernizations at Siemens Energy, shared with Turbomachinery International what’s driving steam turbine modernizations, and how have these drivers have changed in recent years. He spoke about decarbonization efforts impacting steam turbine modernization projects, particularly those regarding efficiency upgrades and fuel flexibility.

Michael Smiarowski of Siemens Energy said steam turbine customers at nuclear plants focus on optimizing output and staying carbon-free, and fossil’s focus is reliability and modernization. 

Steam Turbines

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