Oil and gas service provider Baker Hughes has signed a deal with Russia’s Novatek to reduce carbon emissions from the latter’s natural gas and LNG production.
The two companies will cooperate on the development and implementation of innovative compression and power generation technology solutions from Baker Hughes for Novatek’s LNG projects.
The agreement will begin with a pilot program to introduce hydrogen blends into the main process for natural gas liquefaction to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from LNG facilities, including Novatek’s Yamal LNG complex, Baker Hughes said in its statement.
Baker Hughes will provide engineering and turbomachinery equipment to convert existing natural gas liquefaction trains at Yamal LNG to run on hydrogen blends rather than solely run with methane from feed gas.
Leonid Mikhelson , Novatek’s chairman said, “Hydrogen technologies have great prospects to reduce the level of global greenhouse gas emissions, and further work is required to develop and adapt these technologies for operations in Arctic climatic conditions.”
Lorenzo Simonelli , chairman and CEO, Baker Hughes added, “We are working with Novatek to introduce the first solution for decarbonizing the core of the LNG production – the turbines driving the liquefaction process,”
Novate, Russia’s largest independent natural gas producer, delivers more than 77 billion cubic meters per year (bcm/yr) with about 9 bcm/yr of LNG sold in international markets.
The three-train Yamal LNG project, located on the Siberian Arctic coast, shipped its first LNG cargo in 2017 and reached full capacity under its current design in 2018.
Its liquefaction trains currently employ the Frame 7/1EA single-shaft gas turbine provided for this project by Baker Hughes, which can be retrofitted to operate with hydrogen blends and is a preferred turbine for LNG plants globally.
Hydrogen blends present significant opportunities for the natural gas sector to cut emissions for LNG turbomachinery equipment, the main mechanical driver of the liquefaction process.
Baker Hughes is also supplying LM9000 aero-derivative gas turbines for Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 project and completed the First Engine to Test (FETT) milestone in mid-2020 followed subsequently by all three string tests for power generation and mechanical drive in the fourth quarter of 2020.