The transformer shortage gets most of the attention because it sits directly on the grid connection critical path. But for any project relying on on-site or behind-the-meter generation — data centers with backup power requirements, industrial sites, BESS projects pairing storage with local generation — gas turbines and large-format generators are frequently the longer lead time, not the shorter one.

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GAS TURBINES: THE TIGHTEST MARKET IN POWER EQUIPMENT

Large gas turbines (heavy-duty frame turbines used for utility-scale and large industrial generation) are widely reported as the single tightest equipment category in the entire power infrastructure supply chain — tighter even than transformers. A small number of manufacturers globally supply this class of equipment, and order books at the major OEMs are reported to extend years out, driven simultaneously by utility-scale gas power projects, data center on-site generation, and industrial co-generation.

Generation Equipment Lead Times — Illustrative, 2026 Heavy-duty frame gas turbines (100MW+ class): multi-year order books at major OEMs
Aeroderivative gas turbines (smaller, faster-response): shorter but still extended vs. pre-2023 norms
Large-format diesel standby generators: 12–18 months
Mid-size industrial generators: 6–12 months, tightening for high-demand configurations

WHY TURBINES ARE STRUCTURALLY DIFFERENT FROM TRANSFORMERS

Transformer manufacturing capacity, while constrained, is distributed across more manufacturers and more geographies than heavy-duty gas turbine manufacturing, which is concentrated among a handful of global OEMs. That concentration means turbine lead times are less responsive to price — a buyer willing to pay a premium has fewer alternative suppliers to redirect the order to, unlike transformers where a second-tier European manufacturer can sometimes absorb overflow demand from buyers priced out of top-tier suppliers.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PROJECT SEQUENCING

For any project where on-site generation is part of the plan — not just backup, but primary or co-generation — turbine or generator procurement often needs to start before the grid connection studies are even finalized, simply because the lead time is longer. Treating generation equipment as a follow-on decision after the grid connection strategy is settled is one of the more common sequencing mistakes we see: by the time the grid picture is clear, the turbine order book has moved further out.

STANDBY GENERATION IS A DIFFERENT, MORE TRACTABLE PROBLEM

Standard diesel or gas standby generators — the kind used for backup power rather than primary generation — face real but more manageable lead times, and a more fragmented, competitive manufacturer base. For most industrial buyers, the acute risk is concentrated in large-format primary generation and heavy-duty turbines, not in routine backup power procurement.