| Turbine technology
Opinion: complementary not competing – gas-fuelled power generation versus renewables debate is a red herring
Javier Cavada President and CEO, EMEA, Mitsubishi Power
Public conversation about net zero and the energy transition is often reduced to meaning a simple switch from fossil fuels to clean energy – a direct swap of fossil fuel molecules for clean energy. This interpretation is convenient, but it does not fully capture the scale and complexity of the transition we are navigating. In the past three years alone, global electricity demand has increased due to the rapid expansion of data centres, AI computing, and cold-chain logistics, all of which require constant power and intensive cooling. The scale of the increase has been enough to fundamentally alter the gas turbine market. Lead times that were once measured in months now stretch into years, with OEMs fully booked through the end of the decade. The reason is that society has decided it wants and needs dramatically more electricity, immediately. At the same time, countries have added record levels of wind and solar. These technologies are indispensable to decarbonisation, but the combination of intermittent supply and relentless demand is creating a structural mismatch. Energy storage is improving but still cannot support multi-day or seasonal gaps in renewable generation. Inverter-based resources also lack the inherent inertia that stabilises grid frequency. This means that as renewable penetration rises, so too does the system’s sensitivity to disturbance. This is precisely why grid operators everywhere are reassessing how much synchronous generation must remain available at any time.
Gas fired power plants using the most advanced turbine technology are well equipped to directly address these needs. Historically used as baseload units, they are now becoming the flexible core of modern grids. They can start within minutes, rapidly ramp up or down, and stabilise supply when renewable output fluctuates. This flexibility is essential for systems with high renewable penetration. When clouds reduce solar generation or wind speeds drop unexpectedly, turbines step in instantly to secure the grid.
Beyond filling energy gaps, gas-fired power plants provide system inertia, a function that is fundamental to grid resilience. Traditional gas-fired plants use synchronous generators that provide inertia, helping maintain grid frequency and prevent cascading failures during disturbances. Renewable sources are connected through electronic inverters, which do not naturally provide inertia. As a result, high-renewable grids face a structural risk of
lower system inertia and greater vulnerability to sudden frequency swings.
The 2025 Spanish blackout reminded us how insufficient system inertia can turn a routine grid disturbance into a nationwide outage affecting millions. It was a sharp wake-up call that the energy transition must strengthen reliability at the same pace that it reduces emissions.
It is worth noting that natural gas produces significantly lower carbon dioxide emissions relative to coal and operates at much higher efficiency. Countries such as Germany and Poland are already using gas as a bridge away from coal while continuing to expand renewables. These gains are even greater when gas power is combined with carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS), which can remove a large share of remaining emissions. Gas is also central to the hydrogen economy that many countries envision in the longer term. Modern gas turbines, such as those developed by Mitsubishi Power, are already built to co-fire hydrogen with natural gas. Some units are achieving blends of up to 30%, with a recent successful demonstration of 50% co-firing by Georgia Power in the USA, and development is advancing toward full hydrogen capability.
These turbines are also engineered to increase hydrogen usage over time, creating a clear pathway toward near-zero-carbon power generation and their future-readiness ensures
that investments made today remain relevant and aligned with net-zero goals. This approach protects grid stability today while preparing the infrastructure for cleaner fuels tomorrow. For policymakers, regulators, and communities, introducing the flexibility of gas turbines into energy strategies delivers clear outcomes due to their potential to accelerate emissions reduction without risking blackouts. This can lead to strengthened economic growth through dependable electricity generation and improved public trust with stability and transparency prioritised. It will also ensure every power sector investment is in support of long term national goals. The choice ahead then is not between gas and renewables. The real choice is between energy systems that are resilient and future- ready vs systems that are fragile and prone to failure. A renewable-led grid without stability is not a clean grid because it is an unreliable one. Gas power provides the operational strength that allows renewables to succeed. The energy transition must therefore be balanced, nuanced, and recognise that every region has different energy needs, different weather patterns, and different economic pressures. Gas fuelled power provides stability, flexibility, and hydrogen readiness, while renewables provide abundant low-cost clean energy. Together, they create power systems that are reliable, sustainable, and built for long-term progress.
Georgia Power and Mitsubishi Power have successfully demonstrated 50% hydrogen blending on an M501GAC natural gas fuelled turbine at Georgia Power’s Plant McDonough-Atkinson in Smyrna, Georgia, USA (pictured)
www.modernpowersystems.com | March 2026 | 29
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