Mitsubishi Heavy Sees Strong Gas Turbine Demand Despite AI Advances

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) expects continued strong demand for gas turbines, even if data centers require less electricity due to more efficient AI models such as China’s DeepSeek. Chief Financial Officer Hisato Kozawa stated that while DeepSeek’s performance remains unproven, it does not alter the broader trend of rising global power consumption.

Kozawa also noted that last week’s market sell-off, driven by DeepSeek’s emergence, led to MHI being traded as an AI-related stock for the first time, a development he found notable.

On Tuesday, MHI reported record third-quarter earnings and raised its annual profit forecast for the financial year ending in March. The company now expects a net profit of 240 billion yen ($1.55 billion), an increase of over 8% from its previous guidance, driven by strong gas turbine sales for power plants.

MHI’s stock has more than doubled in the past year, supported by growing demand for jets, naval ships, and missiles amid Japan’s defense expansion. However, its shares closed at 2,218 yen on Tuesday, down 0.6% from the previous day, while the Nikkei 225 index rose by 0.7%.