Gas turbines: Building the bridge to a resilient and low-carbon energy future

Renewables are scaling at an impressive pace—but they’re not yet the full answer. Their intermittency, seasonal variability, and infrastructure constraints present real hurdles. That’s where gas turbines can step in—not as an alternative to renewables, but as a bridge and a backbone for a more resilient energy system with less CO₂ emissions.

The opportunity for gas: The reliable workhorse with a possible path to net-zero

Natural gas has been called the “cleanest fossil fuel”—and it’s true. Replacing coal with gas has already slashed emissions in many countries. But what’s more exciting is gas’s future-forward flexibility. Today’s gas power plants can be engineered or retrofitted in the future to:

• Blend or fully switch to hydrogen, reducing or even eliminating CO₂ emissions resulting from combustion.
• Integrate with carbon capture and storage (CCS), providing dispatchable power with lower CO₂ emissions.
• Support grid stability, filling in the gaps when the sun isn’t shining, or the wind isn’t blowing.

This adaptability makes gas turbines uniquely positioned to enable the expansion of renewables, electrify new demand, and help reduce carbon emissions in lockstep with policy, technology, and industry maturity.

GE Vernova’s role: Leading the charge

At GE Vernova, our mission is clear: to electrify and decarbonize the world. And gas can play a crucial role in that journey. Here are a few ways we’re turning vision into action:

• Carbon capture integration
  In the UK, we’re part of the Net-Zero Teesside Power project—expected to be the world’s first commercial-scale gas-fired power station with full CCS. Once operational, it is expected to capture up to 2 million metric tonnes of CO₂ per year, which can power the equivalent of one million homes.

• Hydrogen-ready gas turbines
  GE Vernova gas turbines have over 50 years of hydrogen experience with units operating with hydrogen content from 5% to 100%. There are 120+ gas turbines globally supporting power generation with hydrogen and associated fuels. With 8.5M+ operating hours, our experience is unparalleled.

• Global alliances that scale impact
  From the Middle East to the Americas, we’re forming strategic alliances to enable the right business models, integrate decarbonization technologies, and mobilize funding for innovation. We’re not just building projects—we’re enabling ecosystems.

Let’s build the bridge—together

The use of gas turbines is not a detour from our climate goals—it’s an express lane. And to fully unlock its potential, collaboration is key.

• To our partners: We’re looking for innovators, enablers, and builders across the value chain. Whether you specialize in carbon capture technology, EPC, CO₂ transportation, CO₂ storage, hydrogen infrastructure, finance, or policy design—let’s work together.

• To our customers: We’re here to help you modernize your assets, increase your capacity, meet your ESG goals, and future-proof your operations.

• To my colleagues across GE Vernova: Keep pushing. Keep partnering. The work we do—especially in how we connect across engineering, product, marketing, regions, and alliances—is vital to delivering what the world needs most: cleaner, more reliable energy.

This is our moment to shape the energy transition with purpose and precision. Let’s get to work.