Hydrogen-fuelled gas turbines: a new zero-emissions option?

The marine industry’s drive towards decarbonisation has opened serious debate about propulsion technologies that were, until recently, considered too niche or operationally complex for mainstream commercial shipping.

Gas turbines, long associated with naval vessels and high-speed ferries, are now attracting renewed attention as the sector evaluates high-power-density solutions capable of running on low- and zero-carbon fuels. At Posidonia 2026 in Athens, that debate moved decisively from the theoretical to the certified.

RINA awarded a Type Approval certification to Baker Hughes for its NovaLT 16 gas turbine technology, specifically to operate on natural gas and up to 100% hydrogen for marine propulsion applications. The announcement removes one of the most persistent objections to hydrogen combustion propulsion at sea: the absence of class society endorsement.

Originally developed for industrial power generation, the NovaLT family combines compact design, high efficiency, and operational flexibility, operating in the 12 to 17 MW range in simple-cycle configuration and up to 22 MW in combined cycle. Its 35,000-hour mean time between maintenance intervals and 24-hour engine swap capability are attributes particularly valued in marine applications, where system availability directly affects commercial performance. Through a dedicated maritime validation process, the NovaLT 16 has been shown to meet the specific requirements of onboard installation and operation, enabling compliance with maritime regulations and seamless integration into ship systems.

“Shipping requires solutions that deliver performance today and flexibility for tomorrow”

The appeal of the platform in a hydrogen context is its fuel flexibility without hardware modification. The NovaLT 16 can start up and burn 100% hydrogen, and switch between natural gas, blended fuels, and pure hydrogen without requiring changes to the combustion system. This allows shipowners to adopt the technology now, operating on natural gas or blended fuels, and transition progressively towards zero-carbon operation as bunkering infrastructure develops.

RINA marine executive VP, Giosuè Vezzuto, said: “This certification highlights the value of early collaboration between technology developers and classification societies when introducing innovations to the maritime sector.”

Ahmed Eldemerdash, vice president, Climate Technology Solutions at Baker Hughes, added: “Decarbonising maritime shipping requires solutions that deliver performance today and flexibility for tomorrow, without compromising reliability or safety. With RINA’s Type Approval of our NovaLT 16 turbine, we are advancing a proven, fuel-flexible platform ready for real-world marine applications. This milestone reflects how we are applying proven technologies in new ways to help customers balance energy security, affordability, and sustainability.”

The integration challenges that remain are real but well-understood. Hydrogen’s low volumetric energy density demands either high-pressure compressed storage or cryogenic liquid hydrogen systems, with corresponding implications for vessel design, bunkering logistics and crew training. The fuel supply system must deliver hydrogen at the pressures and flow rates the combustion system demands, while managing the risk profile that the fuel’s wide flammability range presents in enclosed machinery spaces.

Nevertheless, the Posidonia announcement signals that the combustion route to hydrogen propulsion has now cleared a critical regulatory threshold. As the maritime sector accelerates its transition to alternative fuels, gas turbines are gaining attention for their high-power density, operational flexibility, and ability to support new propulsion architectures, including electric and hybrid configurations that offer lower CO2 emissions compared with conventional two-stroke and four-stroke diesel engines.