Capstone Turbine Corp., developer and manufacturer ofmicroturbine power generators, says it has successfully tested a 30kW unit that can be used at the wellhead to generate power usingsour gas.

The Woodland Hills, CA, company said it had completed Phase IIof its sour gas testing program and is installing a commercialunit. The test program was conducted at a Fletcher Challenge Energyfacility in Alberta, Canada. About one/third of Canadian productionis sour gas. The engine performed for more than 1,000 hours with noperformance degradation from the corrosive hydrogen sulfide gas.

The Capstone MicroTurbine is able to operate on sour gascontaining up to 7% H2S. A spokesman said the units can be used atwellhead pumpjacks that produce oil and typically flare the gas.The electricity produced is typically used to run a pump or someother machine on site or it can be fed back into an existing powergrid.

“The completion of this test validates the CapstoneMicroTurbineT as the first small-scale solution for businessesfocusing on reducing flare gases, including oil and gas producersand processors, landfill operators, and environmental and emissionscompanies,” said Dr. Ake Almgren, Capstone’s president. “Ourrobust technology has the potential to help solve a problem that isworldwide in scale, and help businesses prepare for strictergovernment regulations that are on the horizon.”

Capstone Turbine Corporation is a leading developer oflow-emission, compact power generating systems for stationary powerand vehicular markets.

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