How GE Vernova builds the massive gas turbines powering the AI data center boom
GE Vernova's Greenville, South Carolina plant is boosting production of gas turbines to meet high demand from AI data centers, including projects for Microsoft and OpenAI in Texas, and xAI in Tennessee. These companies are increasingly relying on standalone power solutions due to the immense energy needs of AI and grid bottlenecks. GE Vernova is also working to improve the environmental efficiency of its turbines amid growing public scrutiny of data center development.
GE Vernova's largest gas turbine plant in Greenville, South Carolina, is significantly ramping up production to power the burgeoning artificial intelligence (AI) data center industry. The company hired 200 workers last year and plans to add 300 more by year-end, driven by the massive energy demands of AI data centers.
Hyperscalers, including Microsoft, xAI, and OpenAI, are increasingly purchasing GE Vernova's gas turbines as standalone energy sources. Microsoft recently acquired seven turbines for a data center in Texas, while xAI's Colossus 1 campus in Tennessee and OpenAI's Stargate project in Texas are also deploying or using these turbines. According to Pablo Koziner, chief commercial and operations officer at GE Vernova, about 20% of their gas power order book is now dedicated to AI data center applications, with demand outstripping supply and orders extending through 2031.
Each turbine, standing 31 feet tall and weighing 280 tons, can power roughly half a million homes. While the cost for a single turbine can exceed $250 million, prices have surged by 300% in three years, contributing to the rising capital expenditures for AI infrastructure. Public and environmental concerns regarding data center development are also addressed, with GE Vernova emphasizing its efforts to enhance the sustainability and efficiency of its turbines, claiming current models are twice as efficient as those produced two decades ago.