Kazakhstan has become the first overseas customer. China has begun delivering three domestically developed G50 heavy-duty gas turbines to the country, with the first 50 MW unit already on its way, DKNews.kz reports.
The turbine was dispatched on August 28 from the Dongfang Turbine Co., Ltd. plant in Deyang, Sichuan Province. According to China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency, the shipment marks China’s first overseas order for a domestically developed heavy-duty F-class gas turbine.
Kazakhstan ordered three G50 turbines
The contract was signed in November 2025. It provides for the delivery of three G50 units, each with a capacity of 50 MW, for a power generation project in Kazakhstan.
The importance of the deal goes beyond the number of turbines involved. China had not previously made a full commercial overseas delivery of a domestically developed heavy-duty F-class gas turbine.
Kazakhstan is therefore becoming the first foreign market where this Chinese technology will be used in a commercial project outside China.
The Chinese-language Xinhua report also states that the equipment is being shipped to Zhambyl Region.
The G50 took 13 years to develop
The G50 is a 50 MW heavy-duty F-class gas turbine developed by Dongfang Electric.
Chinese reports say the turbine took 13 years to develop. It is one of China’s key domestically developed heavy-duty gas turbine projects in this capacity range.
For China, the export has broader industrial significance. The heavy-duty gas turbine market has long remained one of the most technologically demanding segments of the power equipment industry, with only a limited number of major manufacturers capable of developing such machines.
The reason is the engineering complexity.
F-class turbines operate at temperatures of around 1,400 degrees Celsius. Their development requires expertise in more than 100 fields, including heat-resistant alloys, precision casting and aerodynamics.
These technical requirements were also highlighted by People’s Daily.
This is not ordinary generation equipment. Heavy-duty gas turbines are among the most technologically complex machines used at large power generation facilities.
China customized the turbine for Kazakhstan
Dongfang Turbine will not simply deliver the equipment and end its involvement.
Li He, deputy general manager of the company, said the manufacturer will provide comprehensive service support for all three units throughout their entire life cycle.
The company has also customized individual components to meet operating requirements in Kazakhstan, including air intake and rotor systems.
Chinese industry reports say local climate conditions and regional power system requirements were also taken into account when preparing the equipment.
For Kazakhstan, this part of the contract may prove as important as the turbines themselves. Heavy power equipment requires maintenance, spare parts and engineering support for decades, meaning its total cost is determined by much more than the initial purchase price.
The turbines are heading to Zhambyl Region
The arrival of the G50 units comes as Kazakhstan is expanding gas-fired generation capacity in the south of the country.
Eight days before the first turbine was dispatched, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy announced plans to commission 845 MW of new generating capacity in 2027.
The ministry said the program includes five gas turbine units at the Zhambyl State District Power Plant with a combined capacity of 210 MW. The details were published in an official Ministry of Energy statement.
However, publicly available ministry information does not explicitly identify those five units as Dongfang G50 turbines.
The two projects therefore should not be treated as identical without additional official confirmation.
Chinese sources only state that the three G50 units are intended for a power generation project in Zhambyl Region.
Three turbines also mean years of service support
For Dongfang Electric, the Kazakhstan contract is more than a one-off equipment sale.
The company will be able to demonstrate the performance of its domestically developed F-class turbine in real operating conditions outside China for the first time.
Along with the turbines, the manufacturer is effectively exporting maintenance services, engineering solutions, spare parts and technical expertise.
That creates a longer relationship between supplier and customer.
For Kazakhstan, the reliability of the project will depend not only on how the G50 performs after commissioning, but also on whether the manufacturer can provide stable support throughout the turbines’ operating life.
China is developing gas turbines of up to 550 MW
The G50 export comes as China continues to expand its range of domestically developed heavy-duty gas turbines.
Fan Yu, head of Dongfang Turbine’s national laboratory for clean and efficient turbine power equipment, said Chinese-developed models now cover multiple power categories, with the largest reaching up to 550 MW.
His comments were reported by People’s Daily.
That gives the Kazakhstan order additional significance for Chinese manufacturers.
If the first exported G50 turbines demonstrate the expected performance and reliability, Kazakhstan could become a reference project that Chinese companies use when competing for future international contracts.
Feng Zhenping, a professor at Xi’an Jiaotong University, has identified China’s complete manufacturing chains, rapid delivery capabilities and price competitiveness as advantages that could strengthen Chinese turbine manufacturers on the global market.
AI data centers are also driving gas turbine demand
The deal comes against a broader shift in the global power market.
Demand for gas turbines is rising not only because countries are restructuring their energy systems. Growing electricity consumption by data centers supporting artificial intelligence has also become a factor.
Xinhua’s English-language report links the increase in gas turbine demand partly to the rapid growth of power consumption by AI data centers.
Large data centers require substantial volumes of reliable electricity around the clock.
Against that backdrop, gas-fired generation remains one of the options for bringing dispatchable generation capacity online relatively quickly.
Kazakhstan’s order sits at the intersection of two developments: the country is increasing its own generation capacity, while China is exporting a domestically developed heavy-duty F-class gas turbine for the first time.
The first G50 is already on its way. Under the contract, Kazakhstan is expected to receive two more units.
Earlier, we reported that Kazakhstan plans to fully cover its domestic electricity demand in the first quarter of 2027. The country expects to commission 845 MW of new generating capacity in 2027, with gas-fired generation accounting for a substantial share.
