Venture Global inks deals with GE Vernova, Baker Hughes for power expansion

Oct 15 (Reuters) - Venture Global VG.N said on Thursday it had signed deals with GE Vernova GEV.N and Baker Hughes BKR.O to support up to 16 new power generation units, advancing plans to develop off-grid power capacity that could support AI data centers and its LNG operations.

The rapid growth of data centers has fueled interest in behind-the-meter power projects as developers seek to secure dedicated electricity supplies without adding strain to already constrained public power grids.

Here are more details:

• The agreements cover up to 16 power-island units of 720 megawatts each, alongside associated transformer equipment

• Venture said the units could support up to 10 gigawatts of compute capacity by the end of 2034, subject to customer commitments and market demand

• The company expects to place its first order for a power island by the end of 2026

• The gas-fired, combined-cycle units would operate behind-the-meter, without drawing on public power grids or water utilities, the company said

• Any third-party data center development would be separate from and complementary to its LNG operations and would not affect existing LNG sales commitments, Venture said

• The company plans to file its first permit applications this week. Additional equipment orders will depend on future commercial and operational requirements

• This new capacity would expand on the company's 4.5 GW of gas-fired generation that powers its facilities in island mode, allowing the plants to operate independently of the grid