WTUI 2023: Houston Startup Touts Closed-Loop CO2 System uses Waste Heat to Boost Energy Plant Power 20%

The first in-person Western Turbine Users Inc (WTUI) conference and exhibition of the decade included several companies introducing advances in technology. Industrom Power, a Houston-based startup founded by GE veterans, introduced its ready-to-launch, closed-loop CO₂ system that, according to the company, can boost turbine plant power up to 20% at a 17% better heat rate.

“My partner, Joseph Harris, and I saw a need in the industry for something that uses waste heat to generate power and can start as fast as an LM6000. We came up with new technology that can do that,” Industrom CEO Paul Angel said during a presentation at the WTUI conference, held in San Diego, California, March 12–15, 2023.

The self-contained system uses no water and produces no emissions. It is designed to start and accelerate with the LM6000 gas turbine system and can add 10 MW of power, Angel said.

“The system is designed so that you can run the LM6000 any way you want, and we just go along for the ride,” he said.

The benefit of using CO₂ and a closed loop is that the internal machinery and heat exchangers can be very small. Industrom installs its system on what it calls a power trailer, Angel said. The turbine, gearbox, generator, and control center sit on a power trailer that is approximately the dimensions of a single-wide mobile home and is road legal, “so you can relatively easily bring that into California,” he said. The cooler trailer is about the same size, he said.

Industrom estimates the trailer option saves the installer about $3 million in installation costs. Installation time is about one to two days. The system is available for both lease or purchase.

Angel said Industrom, founded in 2018, is in discussions to launch its technology with a Midwest utility this year.