Baker Hughes NovaLT12 turbine at test bench in Florence, Italy
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
Also in this section
1 April 2026
Multiple projects have been scrapped and valuations have nosedived, but the IEA says hydrogen is no passing fad
25 March 2026
The Middle East energy shock has highlighted the value of France’s unique potential to deploy nuclear-powered electrolysers
18 March 2026
The second fossil-fuel price shock in four years can be a much-needed catalyst for investment in the sector
9 March 2026
Hydrogen has not stalled in the UK because the technology does not work. The problem is that the system around it does not yet move at the speed required
