Baker Hughes and RINA have announced that the certification body has awarded type approval to Baker Hughes for its NovaLT 16 gas turbine, certifying the technology to operate on natural gas and up to 100% hydrogen for marine propulsion applications.

The announcement was made at Posidonia 2026 in Athens, Greece, on 4 June, with the two organisations describing it as part of an ongoing collaboration to explore the use of advanced gas turbine technology in the maritime sector.

The NovaLT 16 was originally developed for industrial power generation and operates in the 12–17 megawatt (MW) range in simple-cycle and up to 22 MW in combined-cycle configurations. According to Baker Hughes, the turbine offers extended maintenance intervals of up to 35,000 hours. The technology has undergone a dedicated maritime validation process to meet the requirements of onboard installation and operation, enabling compliance with maritime regulations.

Giosuè Vezzuto, Marine Executive Vice President at RINA, commented: “This certification highlights the value of early collaboration between technology developers and classification societies when introducing innovations to the maritime sector. By supporting the assessment of the NovaLT turbine, we contribute to ensuring that the solution is aligned with safety, performance and regulatory expectations.”

Ahmed Eldemerdash, Vice President, Climate Technology Solutions at Baker Hughes, remarked: “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.”

Baker Hughes added that NovaLT fuel flexibility positions it as an enabler for long-term maritime decarbonisation, with the turbine said to support low- and zero-carbon fuels including 100% hydrogen.

Baker Hughes provides equipment and services across gas systems, rotating machinery, electric power, pumps, valves, gears, sensors, precision instrumentation and industrial software.