Vanishing Power: Seizing the Final Natural Gas Turbines for AI Infrastructure
- Rich Washburn
- Jun 27
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 27
A stealth scramble is underway in the global energy supply chain. For AI infrastructure builders, the window to secure high-capacity natural gas turbines is narrowing — fast.
As of mid-2025, Eliakim Capital's global infrastructure intelligence network has visibility into a diminishing cache of just 47 natural gas turbines — ranging from 30 MW to 450 MW — stranded across stalled utility projects and post-COVID supply divestitures. These turbines are not speculative assets; they are real, tangible, and most critically — available now.
After These, the Queue Begins
OEM pipelines are choked. Current lead times for comparable turbine builds from General Electric or Siemens hover between 36 to 60 months. This delay isn't theoretical — it reflects the systemic strain from AI data center expansion, regional grid limits, and the geopolitical reshuffling of energy hardware sourcing.
Once these 47 units are absorbed, procurement becomes a waiting game. Those who delay risk being pushed to the end of the global line — with downstream impacts on data center deployment, energy arbitrage opportunities, and AI training uptime.
Speed Becomes the Asset
For hyperscalers, HPC (high-performance computing) clusters, and AI sovereign stack initiatives, the math is simple:
Pre-positioned turbines mean sub-12-month deployment cycles.
Post-waitlist turbines mean deferrals until 2028 or later — long after market opportunities have shifted.
Turbine Availability Snapshot
Unit Class | Capacity Range | Estimated Deployment Readiness |
Frame 5 / Frame 6 Units | 30–80 MW | 6–9 months |
Aeroderivative GT Units | 100–300 MW | 9–12 months |
Heavy-Duty Frame Units | 350–450 MW | 12–18 months |
Risk-Mitigation Playbook
Secure Transitional Power Assets: Lock in turbine inventory before global queues absorb supply.
Bypass OEM Bottlenecks: Use strategic secondary market sourcing to skip multiyear delays.
Prebuild Permitting Pathways: Start interconnection planning to compress go-live timelines.
Model Total-Cost Acceleration: Compare cost of delay (NVP) vs. early turbine acquisition.
Eliakim Capital Advantage
Through our consortium’s deep infrastructure ties and dormant project recovery programs, Eliakim Capital provides clients with below-market access to power-critical hardware. A select inventory of turbines is available now:
Turbine Model | Capacity | Price Range (Est.) |
GE LM6000 Aeroderivative | ~50 MW | $9M–$11M/unit |
Siemens SGT6-5000F | ~250 MW | $30M–$35M/unit |
Multiple Units Available | 47 total | Deployment-ready globally |
The turbines are moving. When they're gone, the line stretches into 2028. If your roadmap depends on power, let’s talk.
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