Solar Turbines Taurus 70

Solar Turbines' mid-size gas turbine generator set, 8,180 kWe ISO, split from a bundled catalog row

Solar Turbines Taurus 70 is one of 21 gas turbines tracked in the SecondWatt catalogue, each with specifications, lead times and indicative secondary-market pricing.

Solar Turbines Taurus 70 gas turbine: 8,180 kWe ISO rating, permit-verified emissions, overhaul guidance, and used-market pricing data for data center buyers.

The Taurus 70 is a two-shaft industrial gas turbine, rated 8,180 kWe ISO base-load as a generator set, launched by Solar Turbines in the mid-1990s. It has long been bundled with the Taurus 60 in SecondWatt's catalog under one "Taurus 60 / Taurus 70" row, and that bundling does not survive scrutiny of the permit record. This dossier is the split-out Taurus 70 half; a separate dossier covers Taurus 60 and Taurus 65. Four independent permit filings in Connecticut, New York, and West Virginia identify Taurus 60 units under model numbers in the 7800 series, and Taurus 70 units under model numbers in the 10300 and 10800 series, entirely different numbering families. That split is sourced evidence the two machines are different gas generators on different frames, not two ratings of one core engine, despite sharing the Taurus family name. SoLoNOx dry-low-emissions combustion is optional, not standard, alongside a Conventional combustor, so a used unit's emissions capability must be confirmed per serial number. Two independent state permit dockets filed a decade apart both confirm 9 ppmvd NOx at 15% O2 for installed Taurus 70 units, giving this model a real permitting track record.

Why it matters

The permit record settles a question SecondWatt's own catalog previously left open: Taurus 60 and Taurus 70 are not the same core engine. Four independent state filings place Taurus 60 units in a distinct 7800 model-number series and Taurus 70 units in a distinct 10300/10800 series, which means parts, overhaul practice, and pricing should not be assumed to carry across the two ratings. Splitting the bundled catalog row into separate model pages corrects that assumption for buyers.

Who buys it

Gas pipeline operators buy the Taurus 70 for compressor-station power and drive duty, its historical core market across three decades of Connecticut, New York, and West Virginia permit filings found.

Key specifications

Technical summary

ISO base-load output, generator set: 8,180 kWe (alternate OEM sheet: 8,140 kW) ISO shaft output, mechanical drive: 5,740 kW (11,110 hp) Heat rate: 10,195-10,505 kJ/kWh across OEM data-sheet vintages Thermal efficiency, ISO nominal: 35.2% Exhaust flow / temperature: 96,775-97,770 kg/hr at 505-510 C (945 F) Pressure ratio: 16.5:1 through a 14-stage axial compressor Gas producer / power turbine max speed: 15,200 rpm / 12,000 rpm Package weight: 24,950 kg (54,000 lb) NOx, permit-verified: 9 ppmvd at 15% O2 with Advanced SoLoNOx CO, guaranteed with catalyst: 1.0 ppmvd at 15% O2 Model-number series (permit-confirmed): 10300 / 10800 Introduction: mid-1990s

Pricing and availability

Trend: up Both disclosed asking prices found date from active or recent 2025-2026 listings, with no earlier public price series to compare against. Sector-wide gas turbine pricing has trended up since 2019 on demand from data center and grid-firming buyers; the 615 USD/kW new-surplus asking price sits toward the lower end of this category's Gray Market / New Surplus band, consistent with that broader upward pressure rather than contradicting it. Lead time, new: 36-60 months, per broader Solar/Caterpillar order-backlog conditions. Warranty, used: As-is typical on resale listings; one new-surplus lot quoted 1 year or 2,000 hours.

Lifecycle and maintenance

No source published a fixed hot-section-inspection or major-overhaul interval in fired hours for the Taurus 70, despite three decades of fleet history; Solar frames maintenance as condition-based via InSight monitoring rather than a published schedule, the same pattern seen across its other models.

Common failure points

• Combustor liner (SoLoNOx) — Cracking, coking, NOx/CO drift above the 9/1.0 ppmvd guaranteed baseline
• Gas producer turbine blades — Creep, coating spallation near the 15,200 rpm max-speed limit
• Generator (Kato or Leroy Somer) — Winding insulation degradation, brushless-exciter/PMG faults
• Power turbine blades — Erosion, shroud wear near the 12,000 rpm max-speed limit
• Oxidation catalyst (CO control) — Reduction efficiency falling below the 95% rate permits assume
• Control system (Turbotronic) — Obsolete hardware generation on older units

Inspection checklist

Confirm the exact model-number suffix — 10302S, 10801S, and similar — the only reliable way to rule out a Taurus 60 unit mislabeled under the shared family name Pull fired hours directly from Turbotronic control logs — resale listings for this model span 0 hours (new-surplus) up to 14,652 hours on units currently offered Cross-check starts against fired hours — one listing showed 12,205 hours against only 125 starts, a low-cycling profile that wears the hot section differently Borescope the 14-stage axial compressor — reference the 16.5:1 pressure-ratio baseline when judging erosion and fouling severity Inspect combustor liners — confirm whether the unit carries plain SoLoNOx or the newer Advanced SoLoNOx generation referenced in 2025-era permit filings Check gas producer turbine blades against the 15,200 rpm max-speed rating — creep and coating condition are the signatures to track Check power turbine blades against the 12,000 rpm max-speed rating — erosion and tip clearance drive most rejections Identify the generator manufacturer on the nameplate — both Kato Engineering and Leroy Somer generator ends turn up on resold units, and spares sourcing differs If brushless excitation with a permanent-magnet generator is fitted — PMG and exciter should be tested separately from the main stator Confirm control-system generation — Turbotronic 4 has been seen on 2017-vintage new-surplus units — and current software/parts support status Verify package weight and footprint against the 24,950 kg (54,000 lb) nameplate baseline — do not assume a like-for-like swap across Taurus-family skids Confirm rated frequency and generator voltage on the nameplate — both 50 Hz and 60 Hz units exist in the resale pool and are not interchangeable without regearing For any unit marketed new/unused — verify vacuum-sealing and preservation records rather than assuming zero hours means zero storage risk If a waste-heat-recovery boiler or HRSG is bundled with the unit — inspect it separately, since several listings pair non-operational HRSG gear with a working turbine Recompute any quoted $/kW against the confirmed 8,180 kWe generator-set rating — not the lower 5,740 kW mechanical-drive figure sellers sometimes cite interchangeably

Procurement channels

Most listings withhold price, but two disclosed actual figures: a used 8,180 kWe unit at 154-177 USD per kW on a Chinese marketplace, and a three-unit new-surplus lot at 615 USD per kW asking through Salvex.

Regional notes

Both 50 Hz and 60 Hz generator-set units appear in the resale pool and are not interchangeable without regearing. Documented U.S. installations concentrate at Northeast gas-pipeline compressor stations (Connecticut, New York, West Virginia), while several current resale listings are held by traders in China.