Cummins signs first of its kind MoU for ‘hydrogen ecosystem’

Building upon a prior agreement with Terex Corp. subsidiary Terex Advance Mixer Inc., Cummins announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Terex Advance, its customer Edge Materials LLC, a Midwest regional ready-mix concrete business, and renewable fuels producer PCC Hydrogen Inc. to develop “a full hydrogen ecosystem together with a hydrogen producer, vehicle manufacturer and end user.” The agreement – a first of its kind signed by Cummins – will unite the efforts of the four companies to produce, trial and prove concrete mixer trucks powered by Cummins’ hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines (ICE).

Terex Advance Commander FD5000 front discharge mixer truck (Image supplied by Cummins)

The project will see the Cummins X15H hydrogen ICE integrated into the Terex Advance Commander Series front-discharge concrete mixer trucks. Edge Materials, LLC will operate the hydrogen-powered trucks in real-world environments, including on construction sites and critical infrastructure projects. PCC Hydrogen, an ultra-low carbon intensity hydrogen producer based in Louisville, Ky., will supply the hydrogen fuel as well as stationary storage and dispensing services.

According to Cummins, the collaboration is meant to spearhead a complete and viable approach to decarbonizing mixer trucks without impacting vehicle performance. The X15H is based on the company’s fuel-agnostic engine platform and is similar in architecture to today’s diesel- and natural gas-powered engines. The company said it can offer heavier-duty, longer range applications a route to decarbonize without major changes to vehicle designs and at a lower upfront cost than current zero-carbon alternatives.

“While Cummins is investing in a range of power options to support decarbonization, hydrogen internal combustion engines are emerging as a key technology to eliminate carbon emissions from heavy-duty sectors, while retaining the power density and operational range typical of diesel engines,” said Jim Nebergall, general manager - Hydrogen Engines at Cummins. “This collaboration represents an end-to-end demonstration of how hydrogen internal combustion engines work practically in tough applications using real trucks, real infrastructure and real end users.”

Cummins’ X15H hydrogen engine (Photo: Cummins)

David Grabner, general manager at Terex Advance Mixer, noted that decarbonizing concrete mixer trucks while ensuring they can still reliably and efficiently deliver a quality product is difficult due to the energy demands and long operational hours placed on the vehicles. “This project marks a significant milestone in our decarbonization journey,” he said, “as Cummins’ X15H engines introduce an alternative, zero-carbon emissions option for our customers, while providing the performance our trucks need to get the job done.”

Dana Boyd, president, Edge Materials LLC, agreed, adding, “We are excited to be facilitating the combined efforts of Cummins, Terex Advance and PCC Hydrogen to demonstrate a real-life carbon reduction system for concrete delivery. As industries are looking for ways to reduce carbon emissions, we will be aligning our pioneering efforts utilizing the X15H engine in front-discharge concrete mixer trucks to show that hydrogen technology is a viable alternative fuel for demanding on- and off-highway environments.”