After an unprecedented strong growth during the late 1990s and the initial months of the 21st century, the turbine industry worldwide has subsequently experienced a much more challenging market environment.

Increased deployment of distributed electric power generation systems in many countries will positively impact the market for micro-turbines and smaller gas turbines, while environmentally benign products such as wind turbines hold favorable prospects as well.

Turbines are becoming cheaper and more powerful, with larger blade lengths which can utilize more wind, water and therefore produce more electricity, bringing down the cost of renewable generation.

Micro-turbines are an emerging class of small-scale distributed power generation in the 30-400 kW size range. The basic technology used in micro-turbines is derived from aircraft auxiliary power systems, diesel engine turbochargers, and automotive designs.

Combustion turbines range in size from simple cycle units starting at about 1 MW to several hundred MW when configured as a combined cycle power plant. Units from 1-15 MW are generally referred to as industrial turbines (or sometimes as mini-turbines), which differentiates them both from larger utility grade turbines and smaller micro-turbines.

Conditions in the global turbine industry are expected to improve steadily through the latter part of the decade, as a recovering global economy stimulates greater demand for electric energy, and air traffic picks up with rising consumer incomes and increased business activity.