Ansaldo Energia AE-T100 (Turbec T100) Microturbines for Sale
Manufacturer: Ansaldo Energia
100 kWe recuperated microturbine, the former Turbec T100, giving about 200 kWth of heat and 15 ppm NOx without exhaust treatment.
This model is part of SecondWatt’s gas turbine research catalogue. Specifications and price observations are included where supported by sources. Equipment availability and commercial terms require confirmation.
Ansaldo Energia AE-T100 microturbine (former Turbec T100): 100 kWe at 30%, about 200 kWth heat, 15 ppm NOx, 6,000-hour service and US rules.
The AE-T100 is a 100 kWe recuperated micro gas turbine from Ansaldo Energia, now offered through its subsidiary Ansaldo Green Tech, for combined heat and power and trigeneration. A single shaft carries a high-speed generator, a single-stage centrifugal compressor and a single-stage radial turbine at 70,000 rpm, and power electronics convert the high-frequency output to grid frequency. Ansaldo rates the natural gas version at 100 kWe and 30% electrical efficiency, with about 200 kWth of heat per module and up to 90% total efficiency. Versions are the AE-T100NG for natural gas, the 105 kWe AE-T100B for biogas and the externally fired AE-T100E for biomass or solar heat.
Buyers also meet it as the Turbec T100 or ABB MT100. ABB and Volvo Aero formed Turbec AB in 1998, and its first product was the ABB MT100 microturbine. The business later moved to Italy as Turbec S.p.A., and Forecast International reports that Ansaldo bought it in 2012; Ansaldo's datasheets now carry the Ansaldo Green Tech name.
Forecast International put cumulative supply at about 500 units by the end of 2015. Ansaldo states 15 ppm NOx and CO without exhaust treatment and a 6,000-hour scheduled service interval.
Why it matters
It is a 100 kWe block that delivers electricity plus about 200 kWth of heat, meets 15 ppm NOx and CO without catalysts, runs on natural gas, biogas or external heat, and needs scheduled service every 6,000 hours. Assessment: against Capstone's microturbines it offers a modular 100 kW step and biogas tolerance, but it lacks a current California CARB distributed-generation certification and a published North American distributor, which matter for US sites.
Who buys it
Owners of combined heat and power and trigeneration plants in the 100 kWe to low-megawatt range: hotels, hospitals, sports centers and offices; food, ceramics, chemicals, laundries and paper plants; and wastewater, landfill and anaerobic-digestion operators using the biogas version. Ansaldo also names data centers and mining farms, where the units can supply cooling, heating and backup power. A 2016 Czech trigeneration plant used two AE-T100NG units with an absorption chiller.
Role in the data center
Ansaldo says AE-T100 units in a data center can provide cooling to the server room, heating to offices and backup power if the network fails. Assessment: at 100 kWe per module it suits edge sites, offices and small server rooms on combined cooling, heat and power, not AI-campus prime power; a 1 MW load needs about ten modules.
Key specifications
| Electrical output, AE-T100NG (natural gas) | 100 +/- 3 kWe |
|---|---|
| Electrical output, AE-T100B (biogas) | 105 +/- 3 kWe |
| Electrical output, AE-T100E (externally fired) | 50 / 75 kWe |
| Electrical efficiency | 30 +/- 2 % |
| Thermal output per module, about | 200 kWth |
| Total CHP efficiency, up to | 90 % |
| Fuel consumption, natural gas | 333 kW (about 34 Nm3/h) fuel input |
| Shaft speed | 70,000 rpm |
| Turbine inlet temperature | 950 C |
| Compressor / turbine | single-stage centrifugal / single-stage radial |
| Combustion chamber | 1 can-type, 4.5 bar(a) |
| Exhaust flow / temperature, about | 0.79 kg/s / 270 C |
| Output frequency / voltage | 50 Hz (60 Hz on request) / 400 V three-phase electrical |
| NOx / CO at full load, 15% O2 | <=15 / <=15 ppmv |
| Sound pressure at 1 m, about | 72 dB(A) |
| Power-only package W x H x L (indoor / outdoor height) | 900 x 1,900 / 3,300 x 2,770 mm |
| Weight, power-only / CHP (indoor) | 2,250 / 2,770 kg |
| Site temperature range | -10 to +40 C |
| Scheduled service interval | 6,000 operating hours |
| Biogas supply pressure (AE-T100B) | 6-8 bar(g) |
| Hydrogen in fuel mix, tested up to (Ansaldo page) | 80 % |
| Hydrogen blend range, AE-T100H datasheet (2024) | 0-100 % by volume |
| Turbec estimated life, engine and recuperator / combustor (2010) | more than 60,000 / more than 30,000 hours |
| Cumulative units supplied by end of 2015 | about 500 units |
| Output change above 15 C intake (field test) | -0.83 kW per C |
Technical summary
Ansaldo Energia rates the AE-T100NG at 100 +/- 3 kWe and 30 +/- 2% electrical efficiency on natural gas, burning 333 kW of fuel (about 34 Nm3/h), with about 200 kWth recovered and up to 90% total efficiency. The engine runs at 70,000 rpm with 950 C turbine inlet temperature, 4.5 bar(a) combustor pressure, one can combustor and about 0.79 kg/s of exhaust at about 270 C. Output is 400 V three-phase at 50 Hz, with 60 Hz on request. NOx and CO are 15 ppm or less at 15% O2. The power-only package measures 900 x 1,900 x 2,770 mm and weighs 2,250 kg indoors; noise is about 72 dB(A) at 1 m.
Major variations
Ansaldo lists the AE-T100NG (natural gas, gas booster inside the cabinet), the AE-T100B (biogas, 105 kWe, fuel at 6-8 bar(g) with more than 40% methane, gas treatment not included) and the AE-T100E (externally fired, 50 or 75 kWe, heat source not included). An AE-T100H datasheet from 2024 covers hydrogen blends. Each comes as a power-only (P) or combined heat and power (CHP) package for indoor or outdoor installation. Older units carry Turbec T100 (P or PH) or ABB MT100 nameplates.
Configurations and options
Choices are fuel version (NG, B, E or H), power-only or CHP package, indoor or outdoor enclosure (the outdoor cabinet is taller and heavier), hot water, superheated water, saturated steam or direct exhaust use, absorption chilling for trigeneration, and the number of modules in parallel. Biogas sites add gas compression and treatment for hydrogen sulfide and siloxanes. Ansaldo Green Tech and authorised partners offer full-service contracts and remote monitoring and operation.
Compatibility and dependencies
The natural gas version takes low-pressure gas (0.02-0.1 bar(g)) because its booster sits in the cabinet; the biogas version needs 6-8 bar(g) gas with limits on hydrogen sulfide and siloxanes. Output is 400 V three-phase at 50 Hz, with 60 Hz on request; Assessment: a US 480 V site needs a transformer or a different build, confirmed with the supplier. Site temperature is -10 to +40 C, and field tests show output falling about 0.83 kW per C above 15 C.
Price evidence
Price on request. Configuration, scope and dated evidence are confirmed separately for each request.
What drives the price
Assessment: version (NG, biogas, external firing or hydrogen), CHP package and heat-recovery scope, hours and starts since the last service, combustor and recuperator replacement history, power electronics condition, 50 or 60 Hz build, and whether service support is available locally. Forecast International estimated a new Turbec T100 at US$75,000-77,000 in 2010, an analyst figure rather than an Ansaldo price.
Lifecycle and maintenance
Ansaldo states scheduled service every 6,000 operating hours, with full-service contracts from Ansaldo Green Tech or authorised partners and remote monitoring. Forecast International reported Turbec's 2010 life estimates of more than 60,000 hours for the engine and recuperator and more than 30,000 hours for the combustor. University of Genoa tests found an unmaintained T100 with 360 starts in 1,400 hours settled about 8% below design power. Ansaldo publishes no MTBF or overhaul interval as of November 2026.
Thermal and emissions profile
Ansaldo states NOx of 15 ppm or less (about 31 mg/Nm3) and CO of 15 ppm or less (about 19 mg/Nm3) at full load and 15% O2, with no exhaust treatment. Hydrogen is stated as tested up to 80% in the fuel mix; a university test ran a modified T100 on 100% hydrogen only after replacing the combustor, with NOx of 62 ppm at 15% O2. Assessment: about 0.70 lb/MWh NOx (calculated) is well above California's 0.07 lb/MWh distributed-generation limit.
Common failure points
- Compressor and turbine fouling — Output loss with starts and lack of cleaning; an unmaintained T100 settled about 8% below design power
- Combustor — Shortest-life main component in Turbec's 2010 estimates (more than 30,000 hours)
- Recuperator — Assessment: lost effectiveness raises exhaust temperature and cuts efficiency
- Power electronics and controller — Assessment: the high-speed generator depends on the inverter to reach grid frequency
- Biogas fuel quality (AE-T100B) — Hydrogen sulfide and siloxanes above Ansaldo's limits damage hot parts
- Installation and air intake — Exhaust recirculating into the intake caused unstable operation at one university installation
AE-T100, Turbec T100 or ABB MT100: identify the unit
- The AE-T100 continues the Turbec T100, first sold as the ABB MT100 around 2000. Check the nameplate for maker, version (NG, B, E or H), package (power only or CHP) and frequency, and ask whether Ansaldo Green Tech or an authorised partner can still support that build.
Service position
- Ansaldo states scheduled service every 6,000 operating hours. Turbec's 2010 estimates put engine and recuperator life above 60,000 hours and combustor life above 30,000 hours. Price a used unit on hours, starts and documented service visits.
Using it in the United States
- A single unit is below the federal KKKKa threshold, but it has no current CARB certification for California, and the datasheets list 400 V output with 60 Hz on request. Confirm voltage, frequency, grid-interconnection approvals and local service before buying for a US site.
Data center and trigeneration use
- Ansaldo positions the AE-T100 for cooling, heating and backup power at data centers and mining farms. At about 100 kWe and 200 kWth per module, it fits small sites and trigeneration with an absorption chiller; a 1 MW load needs about ten modules in parallel.
Compare offers on
- Version and nameplate — AE-T100NG, B, E or H, or Turbec T100 / ABB MT100, with serial number.
- Hours, starts and service — Operating hours, starts and dated 6,000-hour service reports.
- Package scope — Power only or CHP, heat exchangers, absorption chiller, gas booster or biogas treatment.
- Electrical build — Frequency, voltage and grid-interconnection approvals for the target site.
- Support — Whether Ansaldo Green Tech or an authorised partner will service the unit at the site.
- Costs outside the offer — Transport, installation, gas connection, stack, controls integration and commissioning.
Seller checklist
- Nameplate photographs with version and serial number
- Operating hours and starts
- Service reports for each 6,000-hour interval
- Combustor and recuperator replacement history
- Inverter and controller fault logs
- Emissions test results
- Biogas analyses and gas-treatment records (AE-T100B)
- Installation drawings, manuals and electrical diagrams
- Included and excluded scope list
What sets the value
Value rests on records that show the unit's state: nameplate photographs with version and serial number, operating hours and starts, service reports for each 6,000-hour interval, combustor and recuperator history, inverter fault logs, emissions tests, heat-recovery drawings and manuals. State the fuel, frequency and voltage the unit is built for.
Is the AE-T100 the same as the Turbec T100?
Yes, it continues that design. ABB and Volvo Aero formed Turbec AB in 1998, whose first product was the ABB MT100; the business moved to Italy as Turbec S.p.A., and Forecast International reports Ansaldo Energia bought it in 2012. Ansaldo now offers it as the AE-T100 through Ansaldo Green Tech.
How much power and heat does an AE-T100 produce?
Ansaldo rates the natural gas version at 100 kWe and 30% electrical efficiency, with about 200 kWth of heat per module and up to 90% total efficiency. The biogas version is rated 105 kWe, and the externally fired version 50 or 75 kWe.
Can the AE-T100 run at 60 Hz?
Ansaldo's datasheets list 50 Hz as standard with 60 Hz on request, because the frequency is set by the power electronics rather than by shaft speed. Output is 400 V three-phase.
Is the AE-T100 certified for use in California?
No current CARB distributed-generation certification exists for the AE-T100. Turbec AB's certification DG-008 for the T100 expired on 31 December 2006, and the current CARB list names Capstone and FlexEnergy microturbines.
How often does an AE-T100 need service?
Ansaldo states scheduled service intervals of 6,000 operating hours, with full-service contracts available from Ansaldo Green Tech or authorised partners.
Inspection checklist
Record whether the unit is an AE-T100 or a Turbec T100 or ABB MT100, its fuel version, frequency and voltage, and serial number. Obtain operating hours, starts and the dates of each 6,000-hour service. Ask for combustor and recuperator replacement history, inverter and controller fault logs, exhaust temperature trends, emissions tests, and for biogas units the gas-treatment records. Run the unit to full load and compare output with the site rating.
Procurement channels
New units come from Ansaldo Green Tech and its authorised partners in Genoa; a Czech and Slovak distributor was named in 2016, and Ansaldo names no North American distributor as of November 2026. In November 2026 one used Turbec T100 carried a public Swiss franc asking price on a European marketplace.
Regional notes
Output is 50 Hz as standard, 60 Hz on request. In the US one unit, at about 1.14 MMBtu/h fuel input, is below the 10 MMBtu/h threshold of NSPS Subpart KKKKa, but California's distributed-generation program requires a CARB certification the AE-T100 lacks; Turbec's earlier certification expired in 2006. In the EU one unit, at about 0.33 MW thermal input, is below the 1 MW scope of the Medium Combustion Plant Directive.
Content owner: Gary Martin, SecondWatt