Chinese-Made Gas Turbine Hits Another Milestone

Integrating advanced technologies, new materials, and innovative processes, gas turbines must meet demanding 

conditions such as high temperature, high pressure, high rotational speed, and long service life. Only a handful of 

industrially advanced nations possess the independent R&D capability for such equipment, earning gas turbines 

the reputation as the "jewel in the crown" of the equipment manufacturing industry.

After years of technological breakthroughs, China’s development of heavy-duty gas turbines has reached another

 key milestone.

On September 8, the first commercial unit of the "Taihang 110" heavy-duty gas turbine, developed by the Aero 

Engine Corporation of China (AECC), was rolled out from the manufacturing, assembly, and testing base of AECC 

Gas Turbine Co., Ltd. It is now ready for delivery, marking the official entry of China’s indigenously developed 

110-megawatt heavy-duty gas turbine into the commercial application phase.

Heavy-duty gas turbines are core equipment for efficient energy conversion, clean utilization, and multi-sector 

applications. They are a key indicator of industrial prowess, with only a few countries capable of independent 

development.

With the rapid expansion of gas-fired power generation capacity in China, the independent development of 

heavy-duty gas turbines—breaking foreign technological and market monopolies—holds strategic importance 

for achieving carbon peak and neutrality goals, ensuring national energy security, and supporting high-quality 

development.

Gas turbines share the same working principles, core components, and manufacturing processes as aero engines. 

Following its establishment in 2016, AECC focused on its core missions and established AECC Gas Turbine Co., Ltd. 

as its primary platform for gas turbine industry development. Leveraging advanced aero engine design, 

manufacturing, and quality management systems, and building on achievements from the Ministry of Science and

 Technology’s "863 Program" major energy projects, AECC comprehensively advanced the improvement and 

modification of the "Taihang 110" heavy-duty gas turbine. This effort successfully achieved set goals including 

technological upgrades, quality enhancements, and reduced development cycles.

The "Taihang 110" heavy-duty gas turbine is designed for 110 MW output, features completely independent 

intellectual property rights, and is 100% domestically produced. It is currently the most powerful commercially 

available heavy-duty gas turbine in China. It offers advantages such as rapid start-up, high comprehensive thermal 

efficiency, and easy maintenance. Capable of using various fuels including fuel oil, natural gas, and medium- to 

low-calorific-value gas for power generation, it is suitable for applications such as cogeneration, natural gas peaking 

plants, and combined cycle power generation. It can also support coupled power supply with diverse energy sources

 like wind, photovoltaic, and hydropower.

Compared to thermal power units of equivalent output, the 110 MW heavy-duty gas turbine can reduce carbon 

emissions by over 1 million tons annually. In combined cycle mode, it generates over 150,000 kWh per hour, 

sufficient to meet the daily electricity needs of 15,000 households.

Filling a Gap in the Domestic Product Range

A heavy-duty gas turbine primarily consists of a compressor, combustion chamber, and gas turbine. Compared to 

aero engines, heavy-duty gas turbines offer higher power output, larger size, and longer service life.

With the rapid development of energy and chemical industries, China's demand for heavy-duty gas turbines has 

surged. However, for a long time, the country relied almost entirely on imports. To change this situation, 

a development project was initiated in 2002 under the "Tenth Five-Year Plan" and the "863 Program."

Since then, R&D personnel overcame numerous challenges, completing full-speed no-load testing in 2008. 

In 2012, a test platform was established at CNOOC's Shenzhen power plant.

On August 28, 2016, the Aero Engine Corporation of China was founded, consolidating domestic aero engine 

and gas turbine development capabilities to accelerate independent R&D and manufacturing. In 2019, with 

strong support from national ministries, local governments, and user units, the 110 MW heavy-duty gas turbine 

project was restarted and named "Taihang 110." It was listed among the first batch of gas turbine innovation 

and development demonstration projects by the National Energy Administration. In 2020, the demonstration 

unit was assembled and rolled out; in 2022, demonstration operation commenced at CNOOC's Shenzhen power 

plant; and in 2023, the product passed verification and appraisal, successfully filling a gap in the domestic 

product range for this power level.

With the delivery of the unit, China’s independently developed 110 MW heavy-duty gas turbine has officially 

entered the stage of commercial application.

The successful development and application of the "Taihang 110" heavy-duty gas turbine showcase AECC’s 

achievements in independent innovation within core gas turbine technologies.

The "Taihang 110" project brought together top expertise from across China’s aviation, machinery, petroleum, 

and power industries in a collaborative effort. It accumulated 171 patents and successfully broke through 

"bottleneck" technologies across the entire chain, including overall heavy-duty gas turbine design, low-emission 

combustion chambers, advanced material preparation, complete machine manufacturing, integrated control 

system development, full machine testing and multi-parameter comprehensive testing analysis, and full-lifecycle 

maintenance and repair. This significantly advances China’s heavy-duty gas turbine industry.

AECC has now established comprehensive industrial capabilities covering production support, unit assembly, 

full-load testing, and export certification. It has developed a range of gas turbine products represented by the 

"Three Light, One Heavy" series ("Taihang 7," "Taihang 15," "Taihang 25" light-duty gas turbines and the 

"Taihang 110" heavy-duty gas turbine) that meet customer requirements for safety and reliability. The light-duty 

turbines, known for their wide applicability and high reliability, are already operational in settings such as 

offshore oil platforms and gas-fired power plants.

Furthermore, driven by the strategic needs of the "Dual Carbon" goals, AECC has formulated a development plan 

for hydrogen-fueled gas turbines and is conducting related R&D. Key breakthroughs have been achieved in 

technologies such as rapid mixing of hydrogen fuel and air, low-emission combustion organization for hydrogen 

fuel, and stable combustion control. The "Taihang 2" light-duty gas turbine has successfully generated power using 

hydrogen, laying a solid foundation for future engineering demonstration and commercial operation of 

hydrogen-fueled gas turbines.