Energy technology company Baker Hughes said Jan. 29 it achieved several hydrogen-related milestones, including a new hydrogen testing facility to validate its NovaLT industrial turbines.

Located in Florence, Italy, the facility will enable the company to test its NovaLT industrial turbines—designed to run blends of up to 100% hydrogen—in various project conditions. The facility’s unveiling came as Baker Hughes aims to accelerate the hydrogen economy.

Hydrogen is seen as a promising route to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors such as steel, maritime and aviation and reduce reliance on fossil fuels used. The versatile energy source can also be used to power fuel cells, generate electricity and serve as a transportation fuel.

Sharing news during its annual meeting on Jan. 29, the company said it recently completed manufacturing and testing of NovaLT16 hydrogen turbines for Air Products’ Net-Zero Hydrogen Energy Complex in Edmonton, Canada. Baker Hughes said the turbines can be deployed in applications such as combined heat and power and pipeline and gas storage operations.

“These low-carbon and carbon-free energy advancements illustrate how the urgency of the energy transition has transformed customer relationships into comprehensive partnerships for innovation across several projects,” Baker Hughes’ CEO Lorenzo Simonelli said in a statement. “There is no path to net-zero without innovation and collaboration.”

Other progress reported included delivery of the first two trains of advanced hydrogen compression solutions for the NEOM project in Saudi Arabia. Developers say the project will be the largest commercial-scale green hydrogen production facility in the world, initially producing up to 600 tonnes of green hydrogen per day when it begins operations in 2026. The project is being developed by joint venture partners NEOM, ACWA Power and Air Products.

Baker Hughes also partnered with HyET, an electrochemical hydrogen compression specialist, to develop, industrialize and commercialize advanced hydrogen compression technology. In addition, the company is exploring different areas of the green hydrogen value chain and co-development of related technologies and gigawatt-scale projects with Green Energy Park.