Turbomachinery News Network: Air Liquide, Boom Supersonic, Capstone Green Energy, and more

Welcome to the 27^th edition of the Turbomachinery News Network. I’m James Cook, associate editor at Turbomachinery International.

Air Liquide will invest approximately €25 million to revamp its air separation unit in Yulin, Shaanxi Province, China—a key domestic industrial hub. The current steam-powered ASU will be converted to an efficient electricity-driven system, immediately reducing CO₂ emissions by 224,000 tons per year and increasing oxygen production capacity by 10%. The electricity-powered production unit is expected to commence operation by year-end 2027.

Boom Supersonic declared a $1.2 billion backlog for its Superpower gas turbine and announced that the launch customer, Crusoe, ordered 29 units to power its AI data centers. Additionally, the company closed a $300 million funding round led by Darsana Capital Partners, with contribution from Altimeter Capital, ARK Invest, Bessemer Venture Partners, Robinhood Ventures, and Y Combinator. The Superpower model is a 42-MW natural gas turbine capable of powering AI data centers while accelerating supersonic travel technology.

Capstone Green Energy obtained a follow-on order from a major Mexican food manufacturer for a single C1000 Signature Series microturbine system. The cogeneration system will be installed by DTC Machinery—Capstone’s exclusive distributor in Mexico and Central America—at the manufacturer’s production facility in Jalisco, where it produces oat-based products. It will generate both electricity and steam to fulfill energy requirements for oat processing, with commissioning scheduled in February 2026.

ENGIE is currently commissioning and developing strategic infrastructures in Belgium, enhancing grid resilience and supporting continuous renewable energy integration in a series of major milestones to secure domestic electricity security and supply. The major milestones for Belgium’s electricity supply include the Flémalle combined-cycle gas turbine plant, Vilvoorde battery energy storage system, and the Coo pumped-storage plant.