Solar Turbines Taurus 60

Solar Turbines' highest-volume gas turbine generator set, 5,670 kWe ISO, split from a bundled row

Solar Turbines Taurus 60 is one of 21 gas turbines tracked in the SecondWatt catalogue, each with specifications, lead times and indicative secondary-market pricing.

Solar Turbines Taurus 60 gas turbine: 5,670 kWe ISO rating, SoLoNOx emissions data, overhaul guidance, and used-market pricing for data center buyers.

The Taurus 60 is Solar Turbines' single-shaft power-generation package, rated 5,670 kWe ISO base load at generator terminals across three independent OEM and dealer spec sheets. Introduced in 1989, it has long been bundled with the larger Taurus 70 in SecondWatt's catalog under one "Taurus 60 / Taurus 70" row, and that bundling does not survive scrutiny of the field record: resale listings and permit filings place Taurus 60 units under 7300, 7800, and 7900-series model numbers, a different family from Taurus 70. This dossier is the split-out Taurus 60 half of that correction; a separate dossier covers the newer Taurus 65. Heat rate is 11,430 kJ/kWh (10,830 Btu/kWh), yielding roughly 31.5% thermal efficiency, with a 12-stage axial compressor running a 12.2:1 to 12.4:1 pressure ratio depending on source vintage. The generator-set variant couples a 3-stage power turbine directly to the generator at synchronous speed, distinct from the two-shaft mechanical-drive package sold for compressor duty. A temperature-derate curve exists on Solar's own data sheet, but the numeric rate did not extract as text, so a buyer at altitude or in high heat should request it directly from Solar. SoLoNOx dry-low-emissions combustion is offered alongside a Conventional option, not as the sole standard, so emissions capability must be confirmed per serial number. Real permitted NOx spans a wide range: 15 ppmvd at 15% O2 on SoLoNOx alone per a New York DEC permit, down to 2.0 ppmvd with an add-on SCONOx catalyst per a Mojave Desert AQMD permit. SoLoNOx alone does not equal CARB-tier siting.

Why it matters

SoLoNOx alone does not equal CARB-tier siting. Real permitted NOx for Taurus 60 ranges from 15 ppmvd at 15% O2 on SoLoNOx combustion alone, per a New York DEC permit, down to 2.0 ppmvd only after an add-on SCONOx catalyst is fitted, per a Mojave Desert AQMD permit. That catalyst hardware does not automatically travel with a used unit, and a buyer who assumes SoLoNOx alone clears a strict-NOx jurisdiction discovers the missing catalyst cost only after the purchase is committed.

Who buys it

Oil and gas operators buy the Taurus 60 for compressor-station power and gas-processing duty, its dominant historical market and the source of the deep secondary-market fleet found.

Role in the data center

Distributed prime or standby blocks: 4-8 Taurus units deliver 25-65 MW with N+1 redundancy at medium voltage, suited to edge campuses and phased builds.

Key specifications

Technical summary

ISO base-load output, generator set: 5,670 kWe Heat rate: 11,430 kJ/kWh (10,830 Btu/kWh) Thermal efficiency, generator terminals: 31.5% Exhaust flow / temperature: 78,385 kg/hr at 510 C (950 F) Pressure ratio: 12.2:1-12.4:1 through a 12-stage axial compressor Gas producer / power turbine max speed: 15,000 rpm / 14,300 rpm Package dry weight: 37,921 kg (83,600 lb) Generator: 4-pole, 4,160-13,800 VAC (60 Hz options) NOx, SoLoNOx alone (NY DEC permit): 15 ppmvd at 15% O2 NOx, with SCONOx catalyst (Mojave AQMD): 2.0 ppmvd at 15% O2 Model-number series observed: 7301 / 7801 / 7901 / 07802S3 Introduction: 1989

Configurations and options

Used units appear as enclosed gensets with epicyclic reduction drive, Leroy Somer or Kato alternators at 3.3-13.8 kV, SoLoNOx or conventional combustion, and dual-fuel options. Mobile trailer packages exist. Zero-hour exchange engines and Solar-authorized refurbishments with new hot sections are common on the market.

Compatibility and dependencies

Gensets integrate an epicyclic gearbox to 1,500 or 1,800 rpm; mechanical-drive variants pair with compressor sets. SoLoNOx stability requires fuel-quality control; legacy Turbotronic controls increasingly depend on Turbotronic 5 migration for parts support. Service routes through the worldwide Caterpillar and Solar district network.

Pricing and availability

Trend: flat The single disclosed price found, an 83,000 USD salvage-condition asking price, is a 2026 listing with no earlier price series to compare it against. Lead time, used or refurbished: Weeks to months..

Lifecycle and maintenance

Solar Turbines cites more than 30,000 overhauls completed fleet-wide across its product line, but no fired-hour interval for hot-section inspection or major overhaul on the Taurus 60 specifically appears in public documentation. Market evidence brackets real-world practice loosely: one 5,600 kW unit shows engine and gearbox replacement after 50,926 hours, while another shows only 9 hours logged since a full Solar factory overhaul completed in 2019.

Common failure points

• Combustor liner and SoLoNOx fuel injectors — elevated NOx/CO drift between annual tests, visible liner cracking or injector coking on borescope
• First-stage turbine nozzle and blades — coating loss, tip rub, or thermal cracking visible on borescope, especially past roughly 1,500 starts
• Reduction gearbox — rising vibration trend or metal in oil analysis; one market unit needed full gearbox replacement
• Generator windings and bearings — falling insulation resistance or bearing temperature rise; several listings disclose generator ends rebuilt
• Control system and instrumentation — obsolete Solar Turbines control panel hardware with no vendor support
• VIGV and bleed-valve actuators — slow or erratic response affecting start reliability and part-load efficiency
• Trailer chassis and skid structure on mobile units — corrosion or fatigue cracking from repeated oilfield redeployment

Inspection checklist

Fired hours since new and since the last hot-section inspection — market listings show units from 1,510 to 50,926 hours, so log completeness matters more than raw age Start count — observed units range from 186 to 1,739 starts, and cycles drive hot-section fatigue independent of fired hours Borescope report — dated within the last 12 months, from a Solar Turbines field service representative, covering all combustor cans and both rotor sections First-stage turbine nozzle and blade condition — check across all gas-producer and power-turbine stages, 2 and up to 3 respectively depending on shaft configuration Combustor liner and fuel-injector wear — inspect all 12 SoLoNOx injector positions, the parts Solar revises most often between combustion generations Reduction gearbox oil analysis and vibration trend — one 5,600 kW unit on the market discloses "engine and reduction gear box replaced 2016" as a selling point Generator winding insulation resistance — megger test the 4-pole, 6-lead Wye generator, with rebuild date if the listing claims "generator ends rebuilt" Generator bearing condition — confirm hours run since the last bearing service against total unit hours Control system generation and vendor — units built since 1989 span at least two generations of Solar Turbines control panels Fuel system configuration and Btu rating — confirm pipeline gas versus dual-fuel versus the 500 Btu landfill-gas rating seen on at least one 5,200 kW unit currently marketed SoLoNOx versus conventional-combustion configuration — and whether an add-on catalyst travels with the unit; permitted Taurus 60s range from 15 ppmvd NOx on SoLoNOx alone to 2.0 ppmvd with a SCONOx catalyst added Enclosure, ventilation fans, and fire/gas detection — check completeness against the 37,921 kg (83,600 lb) dry package weight to confirm nothing has been stripped Trailer chassis and structural integrity — a separate inspection line from the turbine itself on the many Taurus 60 units built trailer-mounted for oilfield redeployment Storage condition and idle duration — one 4.7 MW unit on the market has sat 3 years covered in plastic, raising seal and bearing questions despite only 12,000 recorded hours Serial-specific OEM documentation — factory overhaul records and the data sheet serial number, since configurations like 60-7301, 60-7801, and 60-07802S3 change which parts and NOx guarantee apply

Procurement channels

This is a deep, geographically spread used fleet consistent with Taurus 60 being one of Solar's highest-volume machines, but pricing across this class is opaque as a matter of industry norm: units are marketed openly, and priced only on direct inquiry.

Regional notes

Documented Taurus 60 installations concentrate at US oil, gas, and landfill-gas sites, consistent with the model's dominant historical compression and cogeneration market.