American Supercritical raises $8M to boost gas turbine power by 50% with waste heat

American Supercritical has emerged from stealth with $8 million in funding to commercialize supercritical CO2 systems that capture gas turbine waste heat, potentially boosting power output by up to 50% without extra fuel. The Denver startup's factory-built power block attaches to simple-cycle gas turbine exhausts, using CO2 in a supercritical state—with liquid and gas properties—to drive a secondary power cycle. The compact system occupies one-tenth the space of steam equipment and requires no turbine modifications or re-permitting. The technology targets roughly 140 GW of US simple-cycle turbines, potentially avoiding 20 million tons of CO2 emissions annually. Future applications include nuclear reactors, geothermal plants, and industrial heat recovery. The company has opened a 25,000-square-foot testing facility in Denver.