China has moved forward in boosting its own power-generation capacity with the launch of the Anji Power Plant, the first in the country to run an advanced domestic gas turbine built mostly with local components. The plant, commissioned by China Energy Investment Corp., is equipped with two gas turbines rated at roughly 400 megawatts each and marks a milestone in China’s long-running effort to reduce dependence on imported turbine technology amid a tightening global equipment market.
The turbines deployed at Anji originate from a design developed by GE Vernova Inc., which formed a joint venture with state-owned Harbin Electric Corp. in 2019 to build the machines in China and supply up to a dozen units per year. The commissioning fits into China’s push to build more of its own turbine manufacturing, and the introduction of a domestic gas turbine comes at a moment when global suppliers are finding it hard to keep up with growing orders. Gas-fired power is taking on a bigger role for many industries, as tech companies look for steady electricity to run expanding data centers and as developing markets move away from coal toward cleaner-burning fuels.
China’s gas power capacity is projected to reach 150 gigawatts this year, and industry proposals are calling for an increase to 200 gigawatts by the end of the decade. According to Qi Qin, an analyst with the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, gas-fired generation is playing a larger role in coastal regions where land limitations and grid congestion have slowed the expansion of onshore renewables. The commissioning of the Anji turbines, along with progress by other manufacturers, shows how adoption of the domestic gas turbine is becoming more widespread across the sector as companies such as Dongfang Electric Corp. and Shanghai Electric Group Co. advance their own programs.
The start-up of the Anji Power Plant demonstrates how China is positioning local turbine production as a central component of its power-sector planning. As demand for flexible, high-capacity gas generation continues to climb, the operational deployment of a domestic gas turbine and the development of new manufacturing partnerships signal a strengthening supply base for future power-generation projects.