Vacuum Furnace Delivery Times Reaching New Highs
The end result of all these changes is that “The Monty” was recently told of a new vacuum furnace project which was quoted with a shocking 75 week delivery! Granted this was not a standard, off the shelf, run of the mill vacuum furnace but still even for a “custom” vacuum furnace this is a record breaker.
We have pointed out the various reasons for this increased demand, a portion of which can be blamed on the AI industry requiring more gas turbines which in turn require vacuum brazing furnaces in the manufacturing process. This brief article explains how delivery times for new gas turbines has also skyrocketed;
“Six years. That’s how long developers in the US are now waiting for new gas turbines. With global orders exceeding 100 GW and annual manufacturing capacity estimated at just 60-70 GW, the supply shortage is becoming a major challenge for power developers. According to Reuters, developers are increasingly turning to used gas turbines, refurbished equipment, and repurposed aircraft engines to meet growing power demand.
Used turbines are reportedly selling for $1.5M-$1.7M per MW, highlighting just how valuable available generation capacity has become. With AI data centers driving demand, it’s interesting to see the opportunities this creates for the gas turbine aftermarket, with companies such as EthosEnergy and Sulzer active in the refurbishment and servicing market.”
