NUOVO PIGNONE TECNOLOGIE SRL

Their core work

Nuovo Pignone Tecnologie is a Florence-based industrial manufacturer specializing in turbomachinery for power generation and energy applications — turbines, compressors, and related rotating equipment. In H2020 projects, they contribute deep engineering expertise in turbine design, supercritical CO2 (sCO2) power cycles, and the adaptation of combined-cycle power plants to run on hydrogen and ammonia. They serve as an industrial validation partner, bringing real-world manufacturing capability and operational know-how to research consortia developing next-generation energy conversion technologies.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2016–2018), Nuovo Pignone focused on conventional fossil power plant challenges — turbine blade aerodynamics, flutter, sealing, bearings, and lifecycle management for flexible operation. From 2019 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward supercritical CO2 cycles as a next-generation power conversion technology, applied across solar, nuclear safety, and industrial waste heat recovery. The most recent projects also show a clear move into hydrogen and ammonia as alternative fuels for combined-cycle power plants, signaling alignment with Europe's decarbonization trajectory.

Nuovo Pignone is transitioning from optimizing fossil-fuel turbines toward building turbomachinery for decarbonized power systems — sCO2 cycles, hydrogen combustion, and solar-thermal integration — making them a strong partner for clean energy demonstration projects.

How they like to work

Nuovo Pignone never coordinates — they join as a specialist industrial partner or third-party contributor, providing turbomachinery engineering and validation capability that academic-led consortia need. With 122 unique partners across 24 countries, they operate in large, diverse consortia rather than tight repeat partnerships. This pattern is typical of a large industrial company that selectively joins projects where its hardware expertise is needed for real-world testing and demonstration.

Extensive European network spanning 122 unique partners across 24 countries, reflecting their role in large Innovation Action and Research consortia. Their connections are strongest in the energy research community, particularly around sCO2 technology and power plant modernization.

What sets them apart

Nuovo Pignone brings something most research consortia lack: actual turbomachinery manufacturing and operational experience at industrial scale. While universities develop sCO2 cycle theory and simulation, Nuovo Pignone can design, build, and test the turbines, compressors, and heat exchangers that make these cycles work in practice. Their dual track — mastering both sCO2 technology and hydrogen/ammonia combustion — positions them as a rare industrial partner that can bridge multiple clean energy pathways.

Highlights from their portfolio

• FLEXnCONFU
  Their largest-funded project (EUR 244,825), exploring hydrogen and ammonia combustion in combined-cycle plants — directly at the frontier of gas turbine decarbonization.
• CO2OLHEAT
  Demonstrates sCO2 power cycles recovering waste heat from cement, glass, and aluminum industries — bridging their turbomachinery expertise into industrial decarbonization.
• SCARABEUS
  Investigates innovative CO2-blend working fluids for concentrated solar power, pushing sCO2 technology beyond standard configurations.