Turbines of tomorrow

The successful test of a hybrid turbine, with hydrogen blended into natural gas, is a significant milestone on the journey to decarbonised gas grids

Baker Hughes, in partnership with Italian gas network operator Snam, announced on 20 July the successful testing of its ­NovaLT12, which it says is the world’s first hybrid hydrogen turbine designed for a gas network. The test clears the way for Snam to blend hydrogen into its transmission system, which it plans to do from early 2022. Baker Hughes designed and manufactured the NovaLT12 in its Florence facility and it will be installed less than 300km northeast at Snam’s gas compressor station in Istrana, near Venice. It will be powered by a blend of up to 10pc hydrogen, although it can run on 100pc. This is possible because 70pc of Snam’s pipelines are already built with ‘hydrogen-ready’ pip