SoftBank posts $7.1 billion quarterly loss as gas turbine bet falters
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In November 2026, SoftBank reported a quarterly loss of US$7.1 billion, more than half of which came from losses tied to power generation equipment. According to reports, SoftBank paid non-refundable deposits two years ago to lock in gas turbine supply, ordering over 13 GW of capacity—nearly 50% more than its actual needs. As the pace of AI data center expansion changed, a large portion of these deposits were deemed worthless, with related losses exceeding US$3 billion. Industry observers believe data center electricity demand will still drive the natural gas market, but operators in the future may increasingly turn to a combination of grid connections plus large-scale battery storage, rather than simply stockpiling gas turbine capacity. SoftBank has not offered further explanation of its disposal plans in the report, and the situation is still developing.
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- TechCrunch · AISoftBank’s billion-dollar loss may have put a cap on AI’s natural gas ambitions
SoftBank on Tuesday reported a $7.1 billion quarterly loss, more than half of it from power generation equipment. Two years ago it paid non-refundable deposits to lock in gas turbines, ordering more than 13 GW — nearly 50% more than actual demand — and large portions of those deposits are now deemed worthless, with related losses exceeding $3 billion. Industry observers say data center power demand will still drive the natural gas market, but operators may shift more toward grid connections paired with large battery storage.
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