Ansaldo Energia engineers the energy transition with Ansys and ESSS
“Simulation is like a dress rehearsal before a concert.”
Federico Bonzani, CTO at Ansaldo Energia
For more than 170 years, Ansaldo Energia has played a central role in power generation technology. Today, as renewable penetration increases and grids become more dynamic, the company is addressing a new challenge: developing gas turbines that combine decarbonization with extreme operational flexibility. To meet this challenge, Ansaldo Energia relies on advanced engineering simulation powered by Ansys and the technical expertise of ESSS Italy.
Its GT36 gas turbine is a clear example of this strategy. Designed to operate with hydrogen blends up to 70%, with a roadmap toward 100% hydrogen, the GT36 supports lower CO₂ emissions while guaranteeing the fast response required by modern grids. Ansaldo Energia’s systems can handle rapid load reductions and steep ramp-ups, reaching a world record of 100 MW per minute.
But generating clean power is only half the battle; stabilizing the grid against the intermittency of renewables is the other. To address this, Ansaldo Energia develops synchronous condensers equipped with massive flywheels. Designing these systems brings unique challenges, such as the viscous friction generated between the rotating cylinder and the air. Using Ansys CFD simulation, Ansaldo engineers successfully quantified these thermal effects and designed a rarefied air environment to house the flywheel, keeping temperatures under control.
Engineering such complex machines combustion under such demanding conditions requires a fully multidisciplinary approach. Combustion behavior, thermal stresses, structural integrity, electromagnetic effects, and aeroacoustics must be analyzed as an integrated system.
As Roberto Biondi, Senior Electrical Engineer at Ansaldo Energia, explains: “Simulation, and therefore the creation of a virtual model primarily developed with Ansys, makes it possible to build a virtual prototype of a component or an entire machine. This enables extensive experimentation on the computer, significantly reducing costs and risks, without compromising product safety.”
By integrating CFD, structural, electromagnetic, and aeroacoustic analyses into a unified workflow, Ansaldo Energia reduces reliance on physical prototypes and accelerates validation cycles. Looking to the future, the company is also leveraging Digital Twins to analyze machines not just during the design phase, but throughout their entire lifecycle.
In an energy landscape defined by flexibility, reliability, and decarbonization, advanced simulation has become a strategic enabler for hydrogen-ready power generation.
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About Ansaldo Energia
Ansaldo Energia is a full-service provider of proven, flexible solutions for the power generation industry. Thanks to its well-established know-how, the company covers every stage in the design, construction, commissioning, servicing and maintenance of both complete plants and hi-tech equipment. The capabilities of Ansaldo Energia are founded on 170 years of experience and the participation in hundreds of projects worldwide.
About ESSS
ESSS has gained international recognition by providing a complete range of numerical simulation solutions to over 1500 companies in sectors such as oil and gas, aerospace, mining, automotive, and energy, accompanied by superior customer support and related engineering services. These capabilities enable customers to take full advantage of the Ansys multiphysics portfolio while exposing simulation to all levels of the engineering organization. ESSS is an Apex Channel Partner and the official representative of Ansys, part of Synopsys, for Latin America, Portugal, Spain, and Italy.
