Technology
Proven Technology, Assembled and Combined Differently
Trans Permian Energy combines established reforming, carbon capture, and combined-cycle generation technologies into an integrated system designed to deliver dependable, low-carbon electricity.
Modern Combined-Cycle Generation
Two Stages of Generation from One Fuel
The Trans Permian facility pairs combustion turbines with a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) for a combined-cycle configuration.
A simple-cycle power plant burns fuel in a turbine to spin a generator, and the hot exhaust goes up the stack. A great deal of usable energy leaves with it.
Combined-cycle generation captures that heat. The exhaust from the combustion turbines is used to boil water, and the resulting steam drives a second turbine producing additional electricity from the same fuel already burned. No additional fuel, no additional emissions, and roughly 50% more electricity from the same gas.
Phase 1 fuel is Permian natural gas. In later phases, the plant is planned to run on a blend of natural gas and blue hydrogen produced on site.
The Benefits:
Higher Efficiency
More electricity from the same quantity of fuel, because waste heat is recovered rather than vented.
Lower Emissions per Unit of Power
Better fuel utilization means lower emissions for every megawatt-hour generated.
Reliable Operation
Proven, widely deployed equipment with an established operating and maintenance history.
Operational Flexibility
Multiple turbines allow output to be adjusted as demand changes rather than running all or nothing.
Long Asset Life
Equipment designed and maintained for decades of continuous service.
How it Works
How We Generate Reliable Power
The facility takes natural gas produced in the surrounding basin and turns it into electricity in four steps.
01 - Natural Gas
Natural gas is delivered from the surrounding Permian Basin, capitalizing on abundant local supply and discounted regional pricing.
02 - Hydrogen Production
Instead of direct combustion, the gas is first converted into hydrogen via reforming, producing approximately 138 tonnes per day. This crucial step enables practical carbon capture.
03 - Carbon Capture
The CO2 released during reforming (roughly 1,130 tonnes per day) is captured, compressed, and delivered for enhanced oil recovery and permanent geologic storage in the Permian Basin.
04 - Power Generation
The hydrogen fuels a combined-cycle power island producing 220 MW of electricity, at an effective availability of approximately 97%.
05 - Reliable Electricity
The hydrogen fuels a combined-cycle power island producing 220 MW of electricity, at an effective availability of approximately 97%.
Have questions about our technology, development timeline, or investment opportunities? Reach out to our executive leadership team today.
Built for Hydrogen from the Start
Fuel flexibility is designed in, not retrofitted later. Because our equipment is built to run on hydrogen from day one, the facility is already positioned to adapt to evolving energy policies and markets without costly modifications.
- Hydrogen-Capable Generation: Turbine equipment specified for hydrogen operation from the outset, capable of running on 100% hydrogen or a hydrogen and natural gas blend.
- On-Site Hydrogen Production: Approximately 138 tonnes per day produced at the facility, rather than purchased and transported.
- Fuel Flexibility: Capacity to accommodate a changing fuel mix over the asset’s operating life.
- Future-Ready Infrastructure: A design positioned for evolving hydrogen markets and policy rather than exposed to them.
Lower Carbon Intensity
Produces power at a carbon intensity fundamentally different from conventional gas generation.
~1,130 Tonnes/day
Carbon Captured
Where the Carbon Comes Out
Unlike conventional plants that struggle to capture diluted CO2 from exhaust stacks, our facility converts gas to hydrogen first. This creates a concentrated CO2 stream, making capture highly efficient. We capture approximately 1,130 tonnes per day (395,500 tonnes annually) for Permian Basin enhanced oil recovery and permanent geologic storage. Additionally, 24 MW of on-site renewable power supports the reforming process, further reducing overall carbon intensity.
- Capture at the Right Point: CO2 captured during hydrogen production, where the stream is concentrated, rather than from diluted exhaust.
- Utilization, Not Just Storage: Captured CO2 directed to enhanced oil recovery, producing additional domestic oil while remaining in geologic storage.
- On-Site Renewable Integration: Approximately 24 MW of renewable power supporting hydrogen production and lowering carbon intensity.
- Designed In, Not Added On: Carbon management integrated into the process design rather than retrofitted to an existing configuration.
Reliability
Built for Reliability
Delivering ~97% availability, the project provides industrial and grid operators with continuous capacity via proven equipment and direct behind-the-meter delivery.
Dispatchable Generation
Power produced when it is called for, independent of weather or time of day.
~ 97% Availability
Designed to operate roughly 355 days per year.
Grid Stability
Firm capacity supporting the continuous balance of supply and demand across ERCOT.
Industrial Continuity
Reliable supply for manufacturing and oilfield operations that cannot pause.
Advanced Manufacturing Requirements
Continuous, high-reliability power for computing infrastructure.
Community Reliability
Additional firm capacity in a region where supply is projected to fall short of demand.
Future Technologies
Designed for What Comes Next
A power plant built today will still be operating in the 2060s. The design accounts for that.
The generation equipment is hydrogen-capable, so the fuel mix can shift as hydrogen markets develop. The site holds land, water, and infrastructure sized well beyond Phase 1, so capacity can be added without a new development effort. And the carbon capture infrastructure is already built, rather than being something that would need to be added later under regulatory pressure.
Infrastructure Sized for Expansion
Water, road, fiber, and interconnection engineered beyond Phase 1 requirements.
Hydrogen Opportunity
Equipment and process design positioned for evolving hydrogen markets.
Carbon Infrastructure in Place
Capture and delivery capability built from the start rather than retrofitted.
Efficiency Improvements
A design able to incorporate advances in turbine and capture technology as they mature commercially.
Digital Monitoring
Modern instrumentation and control systems supporting performance optimization over the asset’s life.
Learn More
Frequently Asked Questions
What is combined-cycle generation?
A power plant configuration that generates electricity twice from the same fuel. Fuel is burned in a combustion turbine to produce power, and the hot exhaust is then used to make steam, which drives a second turbine producing additional electricity. The result is significantly more power from the same fuel than a simple-cycle plant.
What does hydrogen-capable mean?
That the generation equipment was specified to run on hydrogen rather than adapted to it after the fact. Much of the industry is discussing how existing turbines might be converted. This facility was designed for hydrogen operation from the outset.
What is carbon capture?
The process of separating carbon dioxide before it reaches the atmosphere. At this facility, capture happens during hydrogen production, where the CO2 stream is concentrated and separation is far more practical than capturing it from diluted exhaust gas.
What happens to the captured carbon dioxide?
It is compressed and delivered for enhanced oil recovery in the Permian Basin, where it is injected underground to produce additional domestic oil and remains in geologic storage.
Why is reliable power important?
Electricity is consumed the instant it is generated, so supply and demand must match continuously. Dispatchable generation is what allows a grid operator to maintain that balance. As more demand comes from operations that run continuously, such as data centers and electrified industrial processes, firm capacity becomes more important.
How does this technology support Texas’ future?
By adding firm generation in the region where ERCOT projects the largest shortfall, using fuel produced locally, delivered to load locally, without waiting on transmission construction.
Is the project designed for future expansion?
Yes. Land, water rights, and site infrastructure were secured and sized for phased growth from 220 MW toward 1 GW and beyond.
Meeting the Demand with Proven Innovation
Explore the West Texas energy deficit and the blue hydrogen technology behind the Trans Permian project.