Baker Hughes NovaLT5 Gas Turbines
Manufacturer: Baker Hughes
5.5 MWe single-lift industrial gas turbine package with an 18-burner DLN annular combustor, 15 ppm NOx and up to 30% hydrogen.
This model is part of SecondWatt’s gas turbine research catalogue. Specifications and price observations are included where supported by sources. Equipment availability and commercial terms require confirmation.
Baker Hughes NovaLT5 gas turbine: 5.5 MWe at 29.4%, 18-burner DLN combustor at 15 ppm NOx, up to 30% hydrogen, single-lift package and inspection intervals.
The NovaLT5 is the smallest NovaLT gas turbine: Baker Hughes' June 2021 overview of the NovaLT5-1 rates it at 5.5 MWe and 29.4% efficiency at the generator terminals, ISO conditions, with 15 ppm NOx, 580 C exhaust and a 16,630 rpm shaft driving the generator through a load gearbox integrated with the gas turbine. GE Oil & Gas introduced the NovaLT5 in 2015 as a 5 MW-range turbine in single-shaft and double-shaft configurations, quoting 30.7-31.5% electrical and mechanical efficiency and up to 24,000 hours between maintenance.
The design uses an axial compressor with extended part-load operability, a dry-low-NOx annular combustor with 18 fuel burners, premixed and pilot fuel lines for each burner and staging valves for part-load emissions, and a two-stage turbine with an air-cooled first stage. Baker Hughes states up to 30% hydrogen burnability in dry-low-emission mode.
The package is a single-lift main skid carrying the turbine, generator and main auxiliaries, 14 x 2.5 m with a local electrical room on the skid or 11.9 x 2.5 m without, and three electrical cable connections for plant interconnection with the electrical room option. Baker Hughes' NovaLT technology page lists the NovaLT12 and NovaLT16 as of October 2026, and its NovaLT5-1 overview is dated June 2021.
Why it matters
The NovaLT5 packages a 5.5 MWe turbine with a dry-low-NOx combustor at 15 ppm and an integrated gearbox on one single-lift skid with three cable connections, which keeps site work small. Assessment: at 29.4% efficiency it trades fuel use for package simplicity, and its 580 C exhaust suits steam or absorption cooling in combined heat and power.
Who buys it
Industrial sites needing about 5 MW of on-site power or combined heat and power, oil and gas facilities, and operators of small district or process energy plants. Behind-the-meter data-center buyers look at this size only for auxiliary, edge or heat-led applications.
Role in the data center
Assessment: too small to be a primary block for a data-center campus; suited to auxiliary power, edge sites or combined heat and power where its 580 C exhaust drives absorption cooling or steam production.
Key specifications
| Power-generation output, ISO, at generator terminals (NovaLT5-1, 2021) | 5.5 MWe |
|---|---|
| Efficiency at generator terminals, ISO (2021 overview) | 29.4 % |
| Electrical and mechanical efficiency range at launch (GE Oil & Gas, 2015) | 30.7-31.5 % |
| Heat rate, LHV (calculated from 29.4%) | 11606 Btu/kWh |
| NOx | 15 ppm |
| Exhaust temperature | 580 C |
| Shaft speed | 16630 rpm |
| Combustor | DLN annular, 18 burners type |
| Turbine stages (first stage air-cooled) | 2 stages |
| Hot-gas-path inspection interval | 24000 hours |
| Major inspection interval | 48000 hours |
| Hydrogen burnability, dry-low-emission mode | up to 30 % by volume |
| Package, L x W x H, with local electrical room | 14 x 2.5 x 7.9 m |
| Package, L x W x H, without local electrical room | 11.9 x 2.5 x 4.9 m |
| Package weight (overview package table) | 65000 kg |
| Electrical cable connections to plant (with local electrical room) | 3 connections |
Technical summary
Baker Hughes' June 2021 overview rates the NovaLT5-1 at 5.5 MWe and 29.4% at the generator terminals, ISO conditions (natural gas, 15 C, sea level, 60% relative humidity, no inlet or exhaust losses), with 15 ppm NOx, 580 C exhaust and a 16,630 rpm shaft speed. The combustor has 18 burners and the turbine two stages. Hot-gas-path inspection falls at 24,000 hours and major inspection at 48,000 hours. The package measures 14 x 2.5 x 7.9 m with a local electrical room or 11.9 x 2.5 x 4.9 m without, and the overview lists 65,000 kg. Heat rate calculated from 29.4% is about 11,606 Btu/kWh LHV.
Major variations
Baker Hughes publishes the NovaLT5-1 for power generation. GE Oil & Gas's 2015 launch described the NovaLT5 in both single-shaft and double-shaft configurations at 30.7-31.5% electrical and mechanical efficiency. The package comes with a local electrical room on the skid (14 x 2.5 m, RIO panel on skid and three cable connections) or without it (11.9 x 2.5 m, control panel in a separate control room), and with square or round exhaust interfaces.
Configurations and options
The single-lift main skid carries the gas turbine, generator and main auxiliaries. The filter house, ventilation system and ducting sit on a single-lift pre-assembled top module. Ventilation is negative-pressure with one 100% fan; the fuel-gas system uses two electrically actuated regulating valves; starting is by a low-voltage electric motor with a variable frequency drive; and the load gearbox is integrated with the gas turbine. Options are the local electrical room and the exhaust interface shape.
Compatibility and dependencies
Baker Hughes describes wide fuel flexibility from low- to high-reactive fuels and up to 30% hydrogen in dry-low-emission mode; confirm the gas composition and supply pressure against the package datasheet. The integrated gearbox and generator set frequency and voltage. Plant interconnection is three cable connections (power, generator and control) with the local electrical room option. The package footprint is 14 x 2.5 m or 11.9 x 2.5 m, with a 7.9 m or 4.9 m height.
Planning price band
Modelled planning estimate: $0.86M–$1.72M/MW · $861–$1,722/kW · $4.74M–$9.47M per unit (NovaLT5-1 (ISO, generator terminals), 5.5 MW; New OEM; very low confidence; gt-planning-v3, as of 2026-11-03). Private market information available. Not a quote or an observed sale price. New OEM gas turbine generator package, equipment scope. Inclusions and delivery terms vary by offer and are subject to confirmation. Not a project budget: EPC, BOP, installation and financing sit outside this band.
Current-production small industrial priced as new equipment. Private market information available.
What drives the price
Package arrangement (with or without local electrical room); fuel case and hydrogen fraction; generator voltage and frequency; delivery and support terms; and, for used units, hours, starts, hot-gas-path inspection status and controls condition.
Lifecycle and maintenance
Baker Hughes' 2021 overview rates hot-gas-path inspection at 24,000 hours and major inspection at 48,000 hours, consistent with GE Oil & Gas's 2015 statement of up to 24,000 hours between maintenance. Baker Hughes does not publish an MTBF figure for the NovaLT5 as of October 2026. Parts and service support for an installed or offered unit should be confirmed with Baker Hughes.
Thermal and emissions profile
The DLN annular combustor has 18 fuel burners with premixed and pilot fuel lines for each burner and staging valves that optimize emissions at part load; Baker Hughes rates NOx at 15 ppm and states up to 30% hydrogen burnability in dry-low-emission mode.
Common failure points
- DLN combustor and staging valves — Burner distress, staging-valve faults or emissions drift at part load
- Two-stage turbine — Coating loss, oxidation or cracking at the 24,000-hour inspection
- Integrated load gearbox — Tooth wear, bearing distress or rising vibration
- Starter drive and controls — Variable frequency drive or control hardware obsolescence
Confirm availability and the rating basis
- Baker Hughes' NovaLT technology page lists the NovaLT12 and NovaLT16 as of October 2026, and the NovaLT5-1 overview on its site is dated June 2021. Confirm new-unit availability, lead time and parts support with Baker Hughes before planning around a NovaLT5.
- The 2021 overview rates the NovaLT5-1 at 5.5 MWe and 29.4% at the generator terminals, ISO conditions with no inlet or exhaust losses; the 2015 launch release gave 30.7-31.5%. Use the dated rating that matches the offered unit.
Package arrangement
- Choose between the package with a local electrical room on the skid (14 x 2.5 x 7.9 m, three cable connections) and the package without it (11.9 x 2.5 x 4.9 m, control panel in a separate control room). The choice changes site electrical work and building scope.
Compare offers on
- Equipment identity — Model and build standard, serial numbers, generator and gearbox identity, controls platform and packager.
- Rating basis — ISO rating at generator terminals versus site-corrected output at the project's ambient, elevation and inlet and exhaust losses.
- Combustion and fuel — DLE NOx level, gas-only or dual fuel, fuel composition limits and the hydrogen case the combustor is guaranteed for.
- Included scope — Turbine and auxiliary skid, generator and gearbox, filter house and ventilation, controls, fuel system, enclosure and spares.
- Service and delivery — Service agreement, warranty holder, factory slot, test scope and delivery terms.
- Costs outside the offer — Step-up transformer, switchgear, interconnection, gas compression, heat recovery, civil works, permits and commissioning.
Seller checklist
- Nameplate photographs for turbine, gearbox and generator with model, build standard and serial numbers
- Operating hours, fired starts and trip history
- Hot-gas-path and major inspection reports with dates and findings
- Borescope reports and images
- Combustor configuration, fuel-system scope and any emissions test data
- Controls platform, software licences and drawings
- Generator test results and gearbox inspection records
- Service agreement status and transferability
- Preservation and storage records for stored units
- Included and excluded scope list with spares inventory
What sets the value
Value rests on records: nameplates and serial numbers, operating hours and starts, hot-gas-path inspection reports, combustor tuning records, gearbox and generator test results, controls software and drive documentation, and confirmation of Baker Hughes service support.
How much power does a NovaLT5 produce?
Baker Hughes' June 2021 overview rates the NovaLT5-1 at 5.5 MWe and 29.4% efficiency at the generator terminals at ISO conditions. Site output is lower in hot or high locations.
Can a NovaLT5 burn hydrogen?
Baker Hughes states up to 30% hydrogen burnability in dry-low-emission mode for the NovaLT5-1. Confirm the emissions guarantee at the intended blend.
What are the NovaLT5 maintenance intervals?
The 2021 overview rates hot-gas-path inspection at 24,000 hours and major inspection at 48,000 hours.
Inspection checklist
Confirm the model designation (NovaLT5-1), serial numbers and package arrangement from the nameplates. Obtain operating hours, starts, trips and fuel history. Review hot-gas-path inspection records against the 24,000-hour interval and the combustor staging-valve and tuning history. Check gearbox and generator records, the starter variable frequency drive and the controls software. Confirm Baker Hughes parts and service support for the unit before payment.
Procurement channels
Baker Hughes is the manufacturer; its NovaLT technology page lists the NovaLT12 and NovaLT16 as of October 2026, so confirm current NovaLT5 availability, lead time and support directly with Baker Hughes. Installed units may reach the secondary market through equipment dealers.
Regional notes
The integrated load gearbox and generator set 50 or 60 Hz output. In the United States a new NovaLT5 falls just above the 50 MMBtu/h small-turbine threshold of NSPS Subpart KKKKa (about 64 MMBtu/h LHV and 71 MMBtu/h HHV at ISO, calculated), in the medium band.
Content owner: Gary Martin, SecondWatt