Helping Customers Recapture Methane - Solar Turbines News and Press Release | Solar Turbines

Carbon dioxide is a well-known concern for global warming. Recently a dramatic increase in methane gas emissions has been concerning for scientists and many of Solar Turbines’ customers. Although gas turbine packages and dry gas seal compressors emit a small amount of methane compared to other technologies, customers are looking for solutions to reduce methane escaping from our units and station vents.

In recent years, we have worked with customers on solutions to reduce methane emissions. One solution is the electric seal gas boost pump, which allows the customer to have a safe extended pressurized hold during non-operational periods. This technology enables our customers to avoid costly and environmentally detrimental compressor system blowdowns that vent methane to the atmosphere.

Solar is also working with GRTgaz, a French natural gas transmission system operator, on a solution that will capture and recompress methane from the primary seal vent and the process gas vent. This is so it can be reinjected back into the customer’s station suction or discharge header. This method has been coined a “near-zero” emission solution.

Several customers have caught on to these developments and want to implement recompression systems on new and existing equipment. Some are even considering retrofitting their entire fleet! The solutions being developed are retrofittable to existing fleet and are options on new equipment. This is a great example of growing our business by developing service products to meet our customers’ evolving needs.