Localization of Gas Turbine Materials and Components Led by Gyeongnam Province

191 Billion Won Invested to Fully Establish Quality Verification Platform

Aerial view of the Gas Turbine Manufacturing Technology Support Center.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] Gyeongsangnam-do is set to actively promote the project ‘Development of a Quality Evaluation and Performance Verification Platform for Gas Turbine Materials and Components.’

On the 20th, Gyeongnam Province announced that it will start the platform project to improve manufacturing technology and strengthen the competitiveness of small and medium-sized gas turbine component companies in the province.

A gas turbine is a power device that generates electricity by operating a turbine with high-temperature, high-pressure combustion gas.

According to experts, it requires highly advanced technologies for each process, such as superalloy material technology that withstands operating conditions above 1500℃ and precision casting technology that realizes complex-shaped high-temperature components, making reliability verification extremely important.

Through this project, the province expects to resolve on-site technical difficulties by establishing gas turbine quality performance evaluation system equipment and supporting material and component demonstration, and to advance manufacturing technology through the development of major component procedures and commercialization support.

With the project underway, a Gas Turbine Manufacturing Technology Support Center will be established in the Gyeongnam Energy Convergence Industrial Complex in the Jinhae Free Research Zone, and equipment for quality evaluation and performance verification of gas turbine materials and components will be installed within the center.

At this location, support will be provided for quality evaluation of key high-temperature gas turbine materials and components such as combustion nozzles, vanes, blades, and ring segments, development of performance verification procedures for each manufacturing process, issuance of test reports, and technology commercialization.

The project was promoted to build a company-oriented ecosystem platform in line with the government’s policy to strengthen the competitiveness of the gas turbine industry, following the trend of early closure of coal-fired power plants and expansion of LNG power plants.

Over five years until 2026, a total of 19.1 billion KRW will be invested, including 9 billion KRW in national funds, with Gyeongnam Province at the center and Gyeongnam Technopark participating as the lead organization.

The Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology, Korea Institute of Materials Science, Changwon National University, Doosan Enerbility, Aspens, and Seongil Turbine will participate as joint research and development institutions, and Changwon City will also contribute 6.9 billion KRW in local funds to support the project.

One billion KRW in national funds will be used for R&D projects such as equipment establishment and development of quality evaluation procedures, while 9.1 billion KRW in local funds will be used for building the manufacturing technology support center and supporting related companies.

Park Soon-cheol, Director of the Energy Industry Division of Gyeongnam Province, said, “We expect that the development of standard procedures for high-temperature material components will improve the technological independence of small and medium-sized enterprises,” and added, “We will focus administrative efforts to ensure that Gyeongnam becomes a hub of the gas turbine industry ecosystem by faithfully implementing the gas combined power generation industry promotion policy.”

Ryu Hyo-jong, Director of the Smart Innovation Industry Bureau of Changwon City, said, “We will do our best to ensure the success of this project, which will create new growth engines and have a significant import substitution effect through the localization of gas turbines and their materials and components.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.