Ansaldo Energia AE64.3A (V64.3A) Gas Turbines for Sale
Manufacturer: Ansaldo Energia
78 MW F-class frame geared for 50 or 60 Hz, the only Ansaldo heavy-duty model offered for 60 Hz, now ordered for a Texas data center.
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 AE64.3A gas turbine: 78 MW at 36.9%, 50/60 Hz gearbox, 15 ppm NOx, 33,000 EOH inspections, combined-cycle ratings and data center use.
The AE64.3A is a heavy-duty, single-shaft gas turbine from Ansaldo Energia rated 78 MW gross at 36.9% efficiency at ISO conditions on natural gas. Ansaldo describes it as a scaled-down AE94.3A and calls it the small F-class machine in its range. It has a 15-stage axial compressor with variable guide vanes, an annular combustion chamber lined with individually replaceable tiles and fitted with 24 dry low-NOx dual-fuel burners, a 4-stage air-cooled turbine and a cold-end generator drive through a gearbox for 50 or 60 Hz. Every other Ansaldo heavy-duty model (AE94.2, AE94.3A, GT26, GT36) is listed for 50 Hz only.
Buyers also meet it as the V64.3A. A 1995 trade abstract describes Ansaldo adding the V64.3A, developed jointly with Siemens, to its production, and Modern Power Systems reported a 70 MW geared V64.3A on the Berlin test bed in 1997. Siemens licensed its heavy-duty technology to Ansaldo until October 2004; in July 2016 an ICC arbitral tribunal held that Ansaldo may use the formerly licensed technology worldwide without limitation.
Ansaldo's July 2026 brochure reports 73 units with more than 4 million equivalent operating hours (EOH). In July 2026 Ansaldo signed an order from Pacifico Energy for eight AE64.3A units in a 60 Hz configuration, with generators, for a power project supporting a Texas data center, its first new-build US power order in more than thirty years, with first deliveries scheduled for 2027.
Why it matters
It is an F-class unit near 80 MW that can be built for 60 Hz, at a time when, per POWER Magazine, Ansaldo's 2025 report put 60 Hz gas turbine market sales above 61 GW for the year. Ansaldo states 15 ppm NOx in dry gas mode without water, a 33,000 EOH hot-gas-path interval with blades and vanes replaceable with the rotor in place, and up to 40% hydrogen. Assessment: against the GE Vernova 6F.03 (88 MW, 36.8%) it offers similar efficiency and NOx from a smaller fleet, which bears on parts and service depth in North America.
Who buys it
Developers of power for data centers and other large loads: Ansaldo's 2026 brochure calls the AE64.3A the right solution for large loads and data centers, and its first US order in decades, from developer Pacifico Energy, serves a Texas data center project. Industrial owners building combined heat and power or captive combined cycle, such as a 120 MW plant supplying an Italian steelworks and a cogeneration plant in Serbia; distributed combined-cycle operators in China; refineries, chemical plants and offshore or barge projects.
Role in the data center
Ansaldo says the AE64.3A's output range suits the modular and redundant architectures of data centers, both grid-connected and behind the meter, and that it can support cogeneration. Eight units are about 624 MW nominal before any steam cycle (POWER Magazine's arithmetic on the 78 MW rating). Assessment: at 78 MW per unit it fits campus power plants of a few hundred megawatts built from several units, or 120-243 MW combined-cycle blocks.
Key specifications
| Gross gas turbine power output, ISO, natural gas | 78 MW |
|---|---|
| Gross gas turbine efficiency, ISO, LHV | 36.9 % |
| Gas turbine exhaust mass flow | 215 kg/s |
| Gas turbine exhaust temperature | 580 C |
| Gas turbine minimum load | 45 % |
| Combined cycle 1+1 net plant output | 120 MW |
| Combined cycle 1+1 net plant efficiency | 55.7 % |
| Combined cycle 2+1 net plant output | 243 MW |
| Combined cycle 2+1 net plant efficiency | 56.4 % |
| Combined cycle net heat rate, 1+1 / 2+1 | 6,463 / 6,383 kJ/kWh |
| Combined cycle plant minimum load, 1+1 / 2+1 | 50 / 30 % |
| Frequency | 50 or 60 (via gearbox) Hz |
| Compressor | 15-stage axial with variable guide vane |
| Combustion system | annular chamber with replaceable tiles, 24 dry low-NOx dual-fuel burners |
| Turbine | 4-stage, air-cooled, axial discharge |
| NOx, dry gas mode | 15 ppm |
| NOx, dry oil mode / with small water amount | 75 / 60 ppm |
| Hot-gas-path inspection interval | 33,000 EOH |
| Hydrogen capability, up to | 40 % by volume |
| Installed units (July 2026 brochure) | 73 units |
| Fleet operating experience (July 2026 brochure) | more than 4 million EOH |
| Simple-cycle heat rate, gross LHV (calculated from 36.9%) | 9,247 Btu/kWh |
| ISO heat input, HHV (calculated from Ansaldo rating) | about 800 MMBtu/h |
| Siemens V64.3A rating, July 2000 | 67 MW |
| Geared V64.3A tested on the Berlin test bed, 1997 | 70 MW |
Technical summary
Ansaldo Energia rates the AE64.3A at 78 MW gross output and 36.9% gross efficiency at ISO conditions on 100% methane (LHV), with 215 kg/s exhaust mass flow at 580 C and a 45% minimum gas turbine load. In combined cycle a 1+1 plant gives 120 MW net at 55.7% (6,463 kJ/kWh) and a 2+1 plant 243 MW net at 56.4% (6,383 kJ/kWh), with plant minimum loads of 50% and 30%. NOx is stated down to 15 ppm in dry gas mode and 75 ppm in dry oil mode (60 ppm with a small amount of water). The hot-gas-path inspection interval is 33,000 EOH and hydrogen capability is up to 40% by volume. The simple-cycle heat rate works out to about 9,247 Btu/kWh LHV gross (calculated).
Major variations
Ansaldo offers one current AE64.3A rating, 78 MW at 36.9%, for 50 Hz or 60 Hz through the gearbox; its July 2026 US order specifies a 60 Hz configuration with a dedicated generator package. Older Siemens-era V64.3A units carry lower ratings: Modern Power Systems listed the V64.3A at 67 MW (50/60 Hz) in July 2000 and described a 70 MW geared version tested in 1997. Ansaldo lists 1+1 (120 MW) and 2+1 (243 MW) combined-cycle blocks, and the brochure names open cycle, base load, combined heat and power, petrochemical steam and offshore or barge duty. Generators in published contracts include Ansaldo's WY18Z air-cooled unit.
Configurations and options
The main choices are frequency (50 or 60 Hz, set by the gearbox and generator), fuel (natural gas, low-Btu gas, liquid fuel or dual fuel with fuel change-over, all burned in dry premix mode), simple cycle versus 1+1 or 2+1 combined cycle, and cogeneration with process steam. Ansaldo also offers hydrogen blends up to 40% by volume, its Plant Optimizer management system (supplied for an Italian CCGT in 2021) and service agreements with upgrade packages. Ansaldo supplies turbines and generators as equipment or within turnkey plants.
Compatibility and dependencies
Fuels range from low-Btu natural gas to liquid fuel, burned dry in premix mode without water consumption; liquid fuel at 60 ppm NOx uses a small water flow. Ratings are ISO on 100% methane, so site output falls with heat, altitude and duct losses. The gearbox sets the generator frequency, so a unit moving from a 50 Hz to a 60 Hz grid needs the matching gearbox and generator (Assessment). Combined cycle adds a heat recovery steam generator, steam turbine and cooling system.
Price evidence
Price on request. Configuration, scope and dated evidence are confirmed separately for each request.
What drives the price
Assessment: frequency (a 60 Hz gearbox and generator package versus a 50 Hz unit), hours and starts against the 33,000 EOH interval, Siemens-era V64.3A versus current AE64.3A hardware, dual-fuel capability, scope (gas turbine and generator only versus a combined-cycle block) and Ansaldo service support set the price. For reference, Turbomachinery Magazine reported Ansaldo's March 2018 contract to supply two AE64.3A gas turbines with WY18Z generators and auxiliaries for a Serbian plant at about EUR 40 million.
Lifecycle and maintenance
Ansaldo states an extended 33,000 EOH inspection interval for hot gas components, and all compressor and turbine vanes and blades can be replaced with the rotor in place. The combustor tiles are individually replaceable. Ansaldo offers customized service agreements with upgrade packages. Ansaldo does not publish an MTBF figure or start-based inspection factors for the AE64.3A as of November 2026.
Thermal and emissions profile
Ansaldo states NOx down to 15 ppm in dry gas mode and 75 ppm in dry oil mode, or 60 ppm with a small amount of water, from 24 dry low-NOx dual-fuel burners in an annular combustor. Hydrogen blends are stated up to 40% by volume. 15 ppm is about 31 mg/Nm3 as NO2 at 15% O2 (calculated). Assessment: 15 ppm sits at the US KKKKa limit for medium turbines at high utilization and under the EU new-plant limit, while oil firing at 60-75 ppm (about 123-154 mg/Nm3, calculated) is above the EU new-plant limit of 50 mg/Nm3 for distillate fuels.
Common failure points
- Combustion chamber tiles — On Siemens 3A-series units, combustion-noise accelerations lifted ceramic tiles, which then broke on re-impact (2000)
- Burners and combustion dynamics — Combustion noise (humming) from flame instabilities drove modification outages on early 3A-series machines
- Hot-gas-path blading and coatings — Thermal barrier coating erosion at hot spots on first-row blading was reported on 3A-series units (2000)
- Load gearbox — Assessment: gear and bearing wear or rising vibration in the 50/60 Hz reduction gearbox
- Generator — Assessment: stator insulation ageing or air-cooler fouling on air-cooled generators such as the WY18Z
- Liquid fuel system on dual-fuel units — Assessment: valves and nozzles that seldom run on oil can foul or stick
Confirm the frequency build: gearbox and generator
- The AE64.3A drives its generator through a gearbox for 50 or 60 Hz operation. Ansaldo's July 2026 US order specifies a 60 Hz configuration with a dedicated generator package. Every other Ansaldo heavy-duty model is listed for 50 Hz only, so the AE64.3A is the Ansaldo frame to consider for a 60 Hz grid.
- Published AE64.3A references are in 50 Hz countries such as Italy, Serbia and China. Assessment: a used unit from a 50 Hz plant needs the 60 Hz gearbox and generator, and Ansaldo's confirmation, before it can serve a US load.
Match the rating to the hardware: V64.3A versus AE64.3A
- Ansaldo's current rating is 78 MW gross at 36.9% at ISO on methane. Modern Power Systems listed the Siemens V64.3A at 67 MW in 2000. Compare offers on the nameplate rating, the upgrades actually installed and a site rating at the project's ambient, altitude and duct losses, and note that Ansaldo's 78 MW is gross while some competitor ratings are net.
Hot-gas-path position
- Ansaldo states a 33,000 EOH inspection interval for hot gas components and allows vanes and blades to be replaced with the rotor in place. Price a unit near that interval as needing a hot-gas-path inspection, and ask for the combustor tile records and the last borescope report.
US NOx class for an AE64.3A
- At about 800 MMBtu/h HHV at ISO (calculated), the AE64.3A falls in the KKKKa medium class: 15 ppm NOx on natural gas at high utilization and 25 ppm at low utilization. Ansaldo states 15 ppm in dry gas mode, which equals the high-utilization limit, so confirm the guarantee and any SCR allowance in the air permit design.
- KKKKa sets separate limits for non-natural-gas fuels; confirm how the permit treats oil firing at Ansaldo's stated 60-75 ppm.
Data center configurations
- Ansaldo positions the AE64.3A for modular, redundant data center plants, grid-connected or behind the meter, and for cogeneration. Its published blocks are 78 MW simple cycle, 120 MW in 1+1 combined cycle and 243 MW in 2+1, with plant minimum loads of 50% and 30%.
Compare offers on
- Frequency build — 50 Hz or 60 Hz gearbox and generator, and whether conversion is included.
- Hardware and rating — Siemens-era V64.3A or Ansaldo AE64.3A, nameplate rating and upgrades installed.
- Hot-gas-path position — EOH and starts since the last hot-gas-path inspection against the 33,000 EOH interval.
- Combustion and fuel — Gas-only or dual fuel, NOx guarantee in ppm and mg/Nm3, hydrogen blend limit.
- Included scope — Gas turbine, gearbox, generator, controls, auxiliaries, filter house, stack, spares; HRSG and steam turbine for combined cycle.
- Costs outside the offer — Dismantling, transport, foundations, gas compression, SCR if required, interconnection and commissioning.
Seller checklist
- Nameplate photographs for gas turbine, gearbox and generator with ratings and serial numbers
- EOH and starts since new and since the last hot-gas-path inspection
- Hot-gas-path and combustor inspection reports, including tile records
- Borescope reports and images
- Combustion dynamics monitoring trends and burner configuration
- Latest emissions test results on each fuel
- Upgrade history and Ansaldo service agreement records
- Gearbox and generator inspection and test reports
- Controls platform, software version, drawings and manuals
- Included and excluded scope list with spares inventory
What sets the value
Value rests on documents that tie the unit to its rating and hardware level: nameplate photographs for gas turbine, gearbox and generator; EOH and starts with the last hot-gas-path and combustor inspection reports; combustor tile and burner records; emissions tests; any Ansaldo upgrades applied; and controls, drawings and spares lists. State the frequency the gearbox and generator are built for.
Can the AE64.3A run at 60 Hz?
Yes. The AE64.3A drives its generator through a gearbox for 50 or 60 Hz operation, and Ansaldo's July 2026 order for eight units for a Texas data center project specifies a 60 Hz configuration with a dedicated generator package. The other Ansaldo heavy-duty models are listed for 50 Hz only.
How much power does an AE64.3A produce?
Ansaldo Energia rates it at 78 MW gross and 36.9% efficiency at ISO conditions on methane. In combined cycle a 1+1 plant gives 120 MW net at 55.7% and a 2+1 plant 243 MW net at 56.4%. Site output is lower in heat, at altitude and after duct losses.
Is the AE64.3A the same machine as the Siemens V64.3A?
It descends from it. The V64.3A was developed jointly by Siemens and Ansaldo in the 1990s. Siemens licensed its heavy-duty technology to Ansaldo until October 2004, and an ICC tribunal confirmed in July 2016 that Ansaldo may use that technology without limitation. Ansaldo now rates the AE64.3A at 78 MW, against 67 MW listed for the V64.3A in 2000.
Has the AE64.3A been ordered for data centers?
Yes. In July 2026 Ansaldo Energia signed a contract with Pacifico Energy for eight AE64.3A gas turbines in a 60 Hz configuration, with generators, for a power project supporting a Texas data center, with first deliveries scheduled for 2027. POWER Magazine puts the eight units at about 624 MW nominal.
What NOx level does the AE64.3A reach?
Ansaldo states NOx down to 15 ppm in dry gas mode and 75 ppm in dry oil mode, or 60 ppm with a small amount of water. Under US NSPS Subpart KKKKa a turbine of its size is in the medium class, with 15 ppm at high utilization and 25 ppm at low utilization on natural gas.
How often does an AE64.3A need a hot-gas-path inspection?
Ansaldo states an extended 33,000 equivalent operating hour inspection interval for hot gas components, with vanes and blades replaceable while the rotor stays in place.
Inspection checklist
Read the nameplates and record whether the unit is a Siemens-era V64.3A or an Ansaldo AE64.3A, with its rating, frequency and the gearbox and generator serial numbers. Obtain EOH and starts since new and since the last hot-gas-path inspection, and compare them with the 33,000 EOH interval. Request combustor tile inspection records, burner configuration, combustion dynamics trends and the latest emissions test. Ask for borescope images, gearbox and generator reports, controls software version and Ansaldo service history.
Procurement channels
New units come from Ansaldo Energia, as gas turbine and generator equipment or within plant contracts; its 2018 Serbian supply ran through an EPC contractor, and Chinese orders were assembled through joint ventures with Shanghai Electric. In October 2026 Ansaldo and Hitachi Energy agreed to develop integrated generation and grid packages for 50 and 60 Hz markets, including data centers. Ansaldo publishes no list price for the AE64.3A as of November 2026.
Regional notes
The gearbox lets the AE64.3A serve 50 Hz and 60 Hz grids. In the US its ISO heat input is about 800 MMBtu/h HHV (calculated from Ansaldo's rating), which places it in the KKKKa medium class (over 50 and up to 850 MMBtu/h) and within the temporary-turbine size limit. In the EU its thermal input of about 211 MW (calculated) falls under the Industrial Emissions Directive rather than the Medium Combustion Plant Directive. Published references are in Italy, Serbia and China.
Content owner: Gary Martin, SecondWatt