GoKawiilAmerican Supercritical raises $8M to retrofit gas turbines with CO2 tech
American Supercritical, a startup founded by Simon Shuham and others, emerged from stealth with $8 million in funding for technology that uses supercritical carbon dioxide to boost the efficiency of gas turbines powering data centers. The company plans to retrofit simple-cycle turbines—common at data centers but far less efficient than combined-cycle plants—so they generate more electricity without increasing fuel use, though the turbines will still emit carbon pollution from burning gas.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Many data centers rely on simple-cycle turbines, which convert only about 35 percent of fuel energy into electricity compared to 60-65 percent for combined-cycle plants, making them a significant source of avoidable emissions as AI-driven power demand surges. If American Supercritical's technology works at scale, it could let data-center operators wring more electricity from existing gas infrastructure without proportionally increasing emissions, though the approach does not eliminate fossil-fuel combustion or its carbon output. The startup's ambition to eventually apply the technology beyond gas turbines suggests it sees a broader role in addressing efficiency gaps across energy sources.
- American Supercritical launched with $8 million in funding to develop supercritical CO2 systems for gas turbines.
- The startup targets simple-cycle turbines used by many data centers, which are far less efficient than combined-cycle plants.
- The technology could improve power output without new emissions, but gas turbines will continue emitting carbon pollution.
Source: wired.com — Molly Taft, 2026-09-23
Published there as: “A Startup Wants to Power Data Centers With ‘Supercritical’ Carbon Dioxide”
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