(Yicai) April 24 -- GE Vernova, the American provider of energy equipment that used to be part of General Electric, is tapping into the potential of China's green energy transformation, according to the president of its gas power business in China.

"We are filled with expectations towards and fully confident about prospects of the development of GE Vernova’s China business," Xu Xin said to Yicai.

The Massachusetts-based firm that was spun off from GE Aerospace this month produces turbines in China. GE Vernova has a manufacturing base for HA gas turbines in Hebei province which is Asia's only facility able to produce such equipment used to power aircraft, trains, ships, and pumps.

The company joined hands with China Huadian, one of the country's biggest energy generation firms, to set up a joint venture called Huadian GE Aero Gas Turbine Equipment in Shanghai to assemble, test, and maintain small gas turbine generator sets.

Among all nations, China is most likely to first start using green hydrogen across different industrial sectors, the American company predicts. A general trend among countries that aim to reach carbon neutrality will be upgrading gas turbines to use such clean fuel, Xu said.

In the future, GE Vernova will discuss with major Chinese providers of energy the feasibility of shifting to hydrogen, Xu said, adding that broad adoption could play a role in the nation achieving its net-zero goal.

GE Vernova's offshore wind power business has been gradually expanding in China since the start in 2017, said Xie Jihong, general manager of the segment. The company runs a facility in Guangdong province to assemble wind power equipment, tapping into China’s advantages in supply and industry chains to boost global growth.

Another key factor in China's energy transformation is adding pumped storage hydropower, referring to energy generated by moving water between two reservoirs at different elevations, and revamping old hydropower stations, according to Xu Aijun, deputy general manager of sales at GE Vernova’s local hydropower business.

The firm's plant in Tianjin, which is GE Vernova's largest hydropower equipment base in the world, offers products to China’s pumped-storage power stations as well as multiple nations around the world, such as Vietnam, Laos, Pakistan, and Mexico.

GE became three different companies on April 2 when the industrial conglomerate's aerospace and energy businesses started trading on the New York Stock Exchange as separate entities after two years of planning.

Editor: Emmi Laine