29 large gas turbines ordered in US in first half of this year

Doosan wins 7; Siemens Energy limited to 1

Late entrant builds global foothold on back of AI-driven demand

A 380 MW-class gas turbine developed and manufactured by Doosan Enerbility. [Doosan Enerbility]
A 380 MW-class gas turbine developed and manufactured by Doosan Enerbility. [Doosan Enerbility]

Doosan Enerbility's large gas turbines are making a mark in the United States, with the South Korean company securing more orders in the first half of this year than Germany's Siemens Energy — one of the three dominant players in the global gas turbine market. The results have cemented Doosan Enerbility's standing as a credible force in the global market, analysts say.

According to McCoy Reports, a global market research firm, a total of 29 large gas turbines — those with a capacity of 215 MW or above — were ordered in the US market in the first half of this year. General Electric led with 13 units. Japan's Mitsubishi Power and Doosan Enerbility followed with 8 and 7 units, respectively. Siemens Energy was limited to just 1.

Doosan Enerbility is widely regarded as a late entrant in the gas turbine market. Unlike the established trio of GE, Mitsubishi and Siemens — each with more than 50 years of history — Doosan Enerbility commercialized its gas turbine technology less than a decade ago.

Despite that short track record, the company has racked up notable achievements. It entered the domestic power generation market in 2019 and last year succeeded in exporting to the United States for the first time. To date, Doosan Enerbility has secured a total of 12 gas turbine orders destined for North American data centers.

The company's rise in the US gas turbine market is closely tied to AI. Massive AI investment by global technology giants has sent demand surging for power generation equipment capable of delivering stable electricity output — exactly what gas turbines provide. Only a handful of companies in the world can manufacture them. As GE, Mitsubishi and Siemens found themselves unable to fulfill all incoming orders, an opening emerged for Doosan Enerbility.

Superior technology has also played a role. Doosan Enerbility's H-class gas turbine achieves a combined-cycle generation efficiency of more than 63 percent, a performance level that approaches the world's best.

An aerial view of Doosan Enerbility's headquarters in Changwon. [Doosan Enerbility]
An aerial view of Doosan Enerbility's headquarters in Changwon. [Doosan Enerbility]

Fueled by gas turbine wins, Doosan Enerbility's order backlog has soared. As of end-June, the backlog stood at 26.35 trillion won ($19.4 billion), up 60.4 percent from 16.42 trillion won a year earlier. The string of orders also lifted operating profit at its Enerbility division to 154.4 billion won in the first half of this year, up 69.7 percent from 91 billion won in the same period last year.

With demand for gas turbines showing no signs of cooling amid continued AI infrastructure expansion, Doosan Enerbility plans to broaden its product lineup to sustain its order momentum. Rather than relying solely on large-scale units, the company is developing a mid-size gas turbine in the 100 MW class. It is also working on a hydrogen turbine targeting the clean-energy market, with its development pace reported to be the fastest in the world.

The company is also pursuing an order strategy that pairs gas turbines with steam turbines. Steam turbines use waste heat from gas turbines to produce additional electricity. Doosan Enerbility's large steam turbines ranked first in the global market last year, a testament to the company's technological credentials. Earlier this year, it signed a steam turbine order in the United States.

Capacity expansion is also underway. By 2028, the company plans to scale up annual gas turbine production at its Changwon plant to 12 units — about 1.5 times the current level. Through this aggressive investment, Doosan Enerbility aims to accumulate orders for 45 gas turbines by 2030 and 105 by 2038.


yeongdai@heraldcorp.com