September 9, 2025
Des Plaines, IL

GTI Energy is pleased to announce that Petrobras (Petróleo Brasileiro S.A.), Brazil’s state-owned energy company, has joined the Supercritical Transformational Electric Power (STEP) Demo project to demonstrate an innovative approach to power generation using supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO₂) technology.

For the project, Petrobras is contributing both financial support and strategic guidance to help bring this capital-intensive technology to market. The company’s involvement reflects its broader commitment to reducing carbon emissions and supporting the global energy transition.

“Joining the STEP Demo project aligns with our goals for decarbonization, energy efficiency, affordability, and reliability,” said Lilian Melo Barreto, Executive Manager, Petrobras Research Center. “We are proud to support the development of sCO₂ power systems that could be an important pathway in the next generation of low-emission electricity production in onshore and offshore applications.”

Led by GTI Energy in collaboration with Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), GE Vernova, the U.S. Department of Energy/National Energy Technology Laboratory (U.S. DOE/NETL), and various global industry partners, the STEP Demo project is demonstrating and validating the indirect-fired sCO₂ Brayton power cycle — a compact, closed-loop system that operates at higher temperatures than traditional steam-based power cycles to deliver improved performance. The indirectly-heated sCO₂ Brayton cycle can use a variety of heat sources and has the potential to significantly reduce cost, fuel use, water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions while enhancing grid reliability and resilience.

During Phase 1 testing, the STEP Demo pilot plant successfully achieved 27,000 RPM turbine speed and produced 4 megawatts (MWe) of grid-synchronized power, which is enough to supply 4,000 homes. The current phase of the project aims to operate the system at 715°C using a Recompression Closed Brayton Cycle (RCBC) configuration to demonstrate the potential to reach net plant efficiencies of 50% or more. At full capacity, the pilot plant is expected to export 10 MWe net, sufficient to power approximately 10,000 homes.

“GTI Energy is committed to advancing breakthrough technologies that deliver low-emission, resilient, and lower-cost energy solutions,” said Don Stevenson, Vice President of Carbon Management and Conversion, GTI Energy. “The success of this project and the interest in joining the team by companies such as Petrobras underscore the potential of sCO₂ technology to transform the future of power generation, bringing us one step closer to commercializing innovations that will drive more sustainable and resilient energy systems.”

The STEP Demo project serves as a vital proving ground, generating the technical and operational data needed to support commercial-scale deployments of sCO₂ power systems across diverse global energy markets.

About Petrobras
Petrobras, Brazil's publicly traded energy giant, operates across the oil, natural gas, and broader energy sectors with deep expertise built over decades in the country’s offshore basins—particularly in deep and ultra-deep waters. This technical leadership has earned Petrobras a place among the global frontrunners in offshore exploration and production.

Beyond its upstream operations, Petrobras manages a diverse portfolio that includes refining, logistics, distribution, petrochemicals, and power generation. In recent years, the company has intensified its focus on low-carbon initiatives, seeking to enhance competitiveness and long-term resilience amid shifting global energy dynamics.

Central to Petrobras’s strategic roadmap is the development of renewable energy projects in Brazil. These efforts aim to support the country’s energy transition while advancing decarbonization across its operations—striking a balance between energy security and environmental responsibility.

About STEP Demo
The STEP Demo project will demonstrate a fully integrated electricity-generating power plant using transformational sCO₂-based power cycle technology that can offer dramatically improved size, performance, economics, and operational flexibility with less environmental impact. OEMs, engineering companies, and power plant owners/operators from around the globe are invited to join this open project to gain a better understanding (including access to operating data, intellectual property and hands-on training) of how sCO₂ technology can improve high-efficiency power generation and be applied to various heat sources including nuclear, fossil, concentrated solar, and others.

About National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)
NETL is the U.S. Department of Energy’s only Government-Owned, Government-Operated Laboratory. NETL focuses on the discovery, development, and deployment of technology solutions to enhance the nation’s energy foundation and protect the environment for future generations. These advanced technologies enable fossil fuels to produce the clean, reliable, and affordable energy needed to support increased domestic manufacturing, improve infrastructure, enhance global competitiveness, revitalize the workforce, and free the U.S. from dependence on foreign oil.

About GTI Energy
GTI Energy is a technology development and training organization. Our trusted team works to scale impactful solutions that shape energy transitions by leveraging gases, liquids, infrastructure, and efficiency. We embrace systems thinking, innovation, and collaboration to develop, scale, and deploy the technologies needed for low-emission, low-cost, and resilient energy systems.

GTI Energy leads the STEP Demo project as the prime contractor with the U.S. Department of Energy/National Energy Technology Laboratory.

About Southwest Research Institute
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is an independent, nonprofit, applied research and development organization based in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 3,200 employees and an annual research volume of $915 million. Southwest Research Institute and SwRI are registered marks in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

About GE Vernova
GE Vernova's Advanced Research business is an innovation powerhouse, operating at the intersection of science and creativity to turn cutting edge research into impactful realities. Advanced Research collaborates with GE Vernova’s businesses across a broad range of technical disciplines to accelerate the energy transition.

GE Vernova (NYSE: GEV) is a purpose-built global energy company that includes Power, Wind, and Electrification segments and is supported by its accelerators. Building on over 130 years of experience tackling the world’s challenges, GE Vernova is uniquely positioned to help lead the energy transition by continuing to electrify the world while simultaneously working to decarbonize it. GE Vernova helps customers power economies and deliver electricity that is vital to health, safety, security, and improved quality of life. GE Vernova is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., with more than 80,000 employees across 100+ countries around the world. Supported by the Company’s purpose, The Energy to Change the World, GE Vernova technology helps deliver a more affordable, reliable, sustainable, and secure energy future.