In 1959, Rolls-Royce installed the world's first power station powered by a gas turbine derived from an aero engine. The installation in Devon, England was the forerunner of a series to be built. Using the Proteus, the installation was rated at 2.7MW.

The use of the aero engine for industrial applications continued and in 1962 the Olympus, first jet engine to be used to produce electricity went into service at Hams Hall, near Birmingham, England.

Applications for this energy source grew and in the 1960s, Cooper and Rolls-Royce developed high efficiency turbines for gas transmission. In the early 1960s, the first Avons and 501s for mechanical drive duty were commissioned in North America. The following decade saw the introduction of the free turbine 501 and the RB211. The 1980s saw the first 501-KC5 installed whilst the 1990s became the decade of the environment with DLE combustion programmes undertaken for the entire product range.