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Stephen Stapczynski

@sstapczynski.bsky.social

6.8K followers 870 following 280 posts

The LNG nerd on Bluesky Energy & commodities reporter at Bloomberg News in Singapore. Opinions my own Interests include natural gas, LNG, oil, power, coal, nuclear, renewables, climate change

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · Nov 14

Follow me for some “good” content about energy & commodities #EnergySky

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 5d

Meanwhile, stocks for turbine suppliers have rallied

Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 5d

This is how the turbine shortage could play out:

Without gas, developing nations may be forced to keep using coal for longer

Meanwhile, developed countries may be pushed to more quickly adopt solar and wind farms backed up with batteries

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 5d

The good news is that suppliers are taking step to lift production capacity

GE Vernova announced plans to expand capacity to 70-80 heavy-duty gas turbines a year from 2026, up from 55 turbines

Mitsubishi Heavy is urgently seeking to add gas-turbine capacity in the next 2 years

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 5d

This is also driving up the cost of power plants

A new combined cycle-gas plant cost about $800/kW in 2021

Now it is as high as $2,800/kW

So in developed nations relying on more gas, power prices could also rise even higher

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 5d

Turbine manufacturers also are favoring projects in developed nations, or tied to power requirements for major companies, because of the reduced risks of financing shortfalls or complex approvals

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 5d

Anyway, so as rich nations scoop up more gas turbines that risks leaving fewer for emerging nations (which had adopted aggressive gas power strategies)

Lets take Vietnam. They want to build at least 22 gas-fired power plants by 2030. This isnt an AI boom thing, its just growth

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 5d

🇺🇸 US power demand is slated to grow 25% by 2030, a reversal of relatively flat consumption since 2010. This is due in part to the AI boom, and data centers are turning to gas to feed energy needs

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 5d

Many countries are shifting from coal to gas as part of their decarbonization efforts. Solar and wind are now the cheapest sources in most regions, but even paired with batteries they cannot yet provide continuous supply that coal or gas do

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 5d

So why are orders for turbines surging? There are a number of reasons

Power demand is growing from consumers and industries as households, transportation and manufacturing are electrifying. Emerging nations are using more air conditioning

Plus, the AI boom

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 5d

The three suppliers have tight control over their IP. You cant easily enter the space because you need decades of testing and experience

While China is trying to develop their own turbine, theyre still far behind. China depends on equipment from the big three

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 5d

That history, along with a few decades of lackluster sales and plateauing power requirements in the US and Europe, meant the suppliers were largely unprepared when electricity consumption accelerated after the pandemic, ushering in the new race for turbines

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 5d

Yet that boom was short-lived as gas prices climbed and the resulting downturn triggered a wave of industry consolidation that concentrated manufacturing capability with the current three main suppliers

And so today there are really only three suppliers of the biggest turbines

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 5d

The technology’s deployment surged in the 1990s with the US power market’s deregulation. Gas turbines were favored for their speed of installation and efficiency, triggering a rush in orders

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 5d

Since the 1960s, the hot gas exiting the process has often been harnessed to generate steam and power a second turbine, creating the combined cycle design that’s more efficient at converting fuel into electricity and has become the standard in large power plants

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 5d

So, what is a gas turbine?

Its a 500-ton machine that is just like the jet engine, but to produce electricity instead of flight

Natural gas is burned to spin blades at speeds higher than 3,000 rotations a minute to powers a connected generator

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 5d

The crux of the issue is that the gas turbine market is dominated by three companies -- Siemens Energy, GE Vernova, Mitsubishi Heavy

Theyve been caught flat footed by an acceleration in orders over the last few years. And they aren’t able (or willing) to quickly boost output

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 5d

GAS TURBINE SHORTAGE 🚨⚡

Orders for turbines for natural gas power plants are vastly outpacing supply, threatening the world’s ability to keep pace with rising electricity demand

🧵 Thread on how we got here and what it means for power-hungry nations

www.bloomberg.com/features/202...

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 7d

NEW LNG IMPORTER SOON? 🇳🇿🚢

New Zealand moves forward with plans to build a new LNG import terminal as domestic gas production falters

www.1news.co.nz/2025/10/01/g...

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 7d

Weak Chinese LNG demand is good news for Europe
🇨🇳🤝🇪🇺

📉 China's imports are poised to fall 22% in Sept due in part to milder weather, rising domestic output. China is the world's top LNG buyer
👍 That'll free-up supply for gas-hungry rivals elsewhere (like those in Europe)

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 7d

The facility is ending a 2 month planned maintenance. Likely related to that?

Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · 7d

AI data centers are sending US power bills soaring, Bloomberg analysis shows
🇺🇸⚡📈

Wholesale prices more than doubled since 2020 in some markets, but those increases arent equal

Of the nodes where prices rose, over 70% are within 50 miles of significant data center activity

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · Aug 20

MANY SUCH CASES: Louisiana’s utility regulator approved Entergy’s plan to build three new gas-fired plants to power Meta’s data center

Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · Jan 25

Power demand on the largest US grid is poised to surge thanks to the AI boom
🇺🇸 ⚡️📈

PJM Interconnection, which manages the 13-state system stretching from Washington DC to Illinois, expects peak summer demand to jump by 38% by 2035

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · Jan 16

More countries are looking to buy US oil & gas to make Trump happy 🇺🇸🛢️

🇰🇷 South Korea's trade minister said the country will consider buying more to reduce their trade surplus with the US
⚠️ Vietnam, EU & Taiwan are considering to do the same to avoid Trump's proposed tariffs

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Stephen Stapczynski @sstapczynski.bsky.social · Jan 15

Vietnam aims to complete its first nuclear power plant by 2030 to boost energy security
🇻🇳❤️☢️

📝 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh ordered the REMARKABLY ambitious target today
⚠️ This comes after Vietnam was hit with blackouts in 2023 due to hot weather, coal power malfunctions

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