GE LM2500 Marine Gas Turbine to Power Spanish Navy's New F-110 Frigates to be Built by Navantia

GE Marine is under contract with Navantia to provide five LM2500 marine gas turbines that will power five new Spanish Navy F-110 frigates being built at its Ferrol Shipyard in Spain.

These multipurpose, anti-submarine frigates are being co-developed by the Spanish Ministry of Defence and Navantia. Each F-110 frigate will be powered by one GE LM2500 gas turbine and four diesel engines in a Combined Diesel Electric and Gas (CODLAG) propulsion system to achieve a maximum speed of more than 25 knots. The new ships will be used in both blue and littoral waters for fleet protection, maritime security, joint and combined mission, and will replace Santa Maria class frigates.

The F-110 frigate program will bring the total to 28 GE LM2500 marine gas turbines used to power  Spanish Navy warships.

“We are proud to continue our successful partnerships with the Spanish Navy and Navantia to provide our dependable LM2500 marine gas turbines,” said GE’s Kris Shepherd, Vice President & General Manager, GE Marine. “It’s great to be a part of this new multi-purpose frigate that commenced construction this month (April 2022),” Shepherd added.

The LM2500 gas turbines will be Made in the U.S.A. at GE’s manufacturing facility in Evendale, Ohio; the base and enclosures will be manufactured and assembled in Spain by Navantia.

With a GE gas turbine, navies have worldwide support whether onshore or at sea, and interoperability benefits with other allied ships. GE has delivered gas turbines onboard 633 naval ships worldwide and provides 95% of the commissioned propulsion gas turbines in the United States Navy fleet. With GE’s split casing compressor and power turbine design, in-situ maintenance is allowed, often making a gas turbine removal unnecessary; navies save millions of dollars a year and weeks/months of ship unavailability.