Opinion Piece

A shipborne gas turbine engine serves as a ship’s ‘heart’. Currently only 3 countries can mass produce shipborne gas turbines: the People’s Republic of China, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom. China currently holds the world record for the most powerful shipborne engine, the CGT-40.

There are currently 3 world class ship turbines, in order of power generated and energy efficiency:

China’s CGT-40, 42.7 MW & 38.11% efficiency 

Britain’s MT30, 40 MW & 40% efficiency 

America’s LM2500+G4, 34.3 MW & 41.3% efficiency

The producer of the CGT-40 is the state owned shipping company, the China State Shipbuilding corporation. The producer of the British MT30 is Rolls Royce. And the producer of the American LM2500 is General Electric. 

The aforementioned power outputs of the respective ship turbines indicates that Chinese ships will be the fastest in the Pacific theater in the event of a naval confrontation. American allies in the Pacific region are reliant on the American and British ship turbines. The majority of China’s  destroyers, cruisers, frigates and aircraft carriers will most likely be equipped with the CGT-40. 

This also demonstrates the industrial capacity of the Chinese economy. The PRC is now one of the only 3 nations able to mass produce ship turbines. Shipborne gas turbines are just as difficult, if not more difficult to manufacture than turbofan jet engines. This indicates that China has officially transitioned to a high-tech manufacturing nation. Behind a product like the CGT40 is an entire ecosystem of industrial suppliers.

In the Made in China 2025 plan, shipping was one of the manufacturing categories China designated to further develop and advance, and it is apparent that the fruits of this effort have been rewarded. 

Source: CGT-40’s source, MT-30’s source, LM2500+G4 source