Responsive Image Banner

Chevron, Solar Turbines working on hydrogen

Premium Content

Collaboration seen as ‘promising opportunity’

Solar Turbines is working with Chevron on a turbine engine partially fueled by hydrogen. (Image: Chevron)

Chevron and Solar Turbines said they are working together to adapt a low-emissions turbine engine partially fueled by hydrogen.

Blending hydrogen with traditional fuels to power the engine could help reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, and the results from the collaboration could inform the potential of lower carbon turbine intensity operations in the future, the companies said.

“We believe this collaboration offers a promising opportunity to further develop hydrogen for commercial gas turbine applications,” said Stuart Quay, Solar Turbines’ manager of strategic growth. “Solar’s commitment to provide reliable power solutions while lowering greenhouse gas emissions makes us a good fit to work with Chevron on this project.”

While conventional combustion turbines have been capable of running on high hydrogen blends for many years, this new collaboration will work to increase the level of hydrogen used in low-emissions turbines, the companies said.

The tests will take place in California where Chevron uses natural gas turbine engines in oil and gas production operations, including to generate steam for enhanced oil recovery applications.

Solar Turbines has been running its gas turbines with hydrogen since the 1980s. This demonstration will be the first time that the company will test with such large volumes of hydrogen in a low-emissions turbine.

“We are using our existing assets to provide a test bed so that Solar Turbines can qualify their equipment for higher blends of hydrogen,” said Ben Leonard, Chevron hydrogen product owner.

Solar Turbines will be looking to retrofit existing turbine equipment that its customers already own.

Elizabeth Vose, Chevron hydrogen commercial advisor, said one of the goals of this project is to run a turbine engine at a blend of 50% hydrogen and 50% natural gas.

The initial tests by Solar Turbines will blend between 20% and 50% hydrogen with natural gas.

“Going directly from natural gas to 100% hydrogen with low-emissions combustion systems is challenging,” Leonard said. “The vision is to blend hydrogen with natural gas on a large scale. This allows the industry to make equipment changes and be ready for the transition to an emerging hydrogen future, the goal being to drive down the carbon intensity of existing operations.”

MAGAZINE
NEWSLETTER
Delivered directly to your inbox, CompressorTech² News features the pick of the breaking news stories, product launches, show reports and more from KHL's world-class editorial team.
Latest News
Everllence technology selected for Stockholm Exergi’s large-scale BECCS project
Former MAN Energy Solutions unit to supply compressor and expander train for carbon removal facility
Wison New Energies and Siemens Energy sign MoU on floating LNG cooperation
Agreement focuses on turbine and compressor packages to streamline offshore project development
TotalEnergies, partners reach FID on fourth train at Rio Grande LNG
Final investment decision will expand South Texas export terminal to 24 mtpa by 2030
CONNECT WITH THE TEAM
Jack Burke Senior Editor Tel: +1 262 527 0815 E-mail: [email protected]
Gabriele Dinsel Brand Manager Tel: +49 711 34 06 73 50 E-mail: [email protected]
Kristin Pride USA Sales Representative Tel: +1 720 298 8546 E-mail: [email protected]
CONNECT WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

WEBINAR: Carbon Capture and Storage

COMPRESSORTech² is giving you a front-row seat to the technologies making CCS work today. Join Baker Hughes and Caterpillar as they share hands-on case studies and deployment insights—from CO₂ compression and pipeline transport to secure underground storage.

📅 December 4 2025

I want to attend!