Werner plans big H2 engine buy from Cummins

Werner Enterprises, the Omaha, Neb.-headquartered transportation and logistics provider, has signed a letter of intent to purchase 500 Cummins’ 15 L hydrogen internal combustion engines upon availability. Earlier this year, the companies announced Werner’s plans to validate and integrate Cummins’15 L natural gas and Cummins’ X15H hydrogen engines, both part of Cummins’ fuel agnostic platform, into their fleet.

National trucking and logistics provider Werner Enterprises has signed a letter of intent to purchase 500 Cummins’ 15 L hydrogen internal combustion engines upon availability. (Photo: Werner Enterprises)

“At Werner, we’re committed to a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 because we recognize the important role our sustainability efforts play,” said Werner’s chairman, president and CEO, Derek Leathers. “Our customers are showing increased interest in more sustainable choices in the marketplace, and we see significant potential in utilizing Cummins’ fuel agnostic platform to continue the momentum toward reducing our carbon footprint.”

Hydrogen engines offer OEMs and end users the benefit using familiar mechanical drivelines that mirrors current powertrains while continuing to provide the power and capability for meeting application needs. Significant reuse of parts and components from Cummins’ existing platforms drives scale advantages on cost and is also projected to deliver reliability and durability equal to diesel, Cummins said.

“We are pleased to see the leadership of customers like Werner Enterprises, who are exploring solutions like our fuel agnostic platform to help their own customers,” said Brett Merritt, vice president On-Highway Engine Business at Cummins. “The future will include many solutions to help customers decarbonize, and we believe hydrogen internal combustion engines will play an important role.”

This is the second such letter of intent signed between Cummins and a major trucking fleet over the last two weeks. In late August, Transport Enterprise Leasing, LLC (TEL) a commercial truck and trailer equipment lease and remarketing provider headquartered in Chattanooga, Tenn., signed a letter of intent to purchase Cummins’ 15 L hydrogen internal combustion engines when available for use in TEL’s fleet of heavy-duty trucks.

“Our fleet customers have shown tremendous enthusiasm for Hydrogen internal combustion engines, which we believe can be a breakthrough technology essential to reaching Destination Zero,” said Jim Nebergall, general manager, Cummins Hydrogen Engine Business. “With enough interest, we believe we can manufacture this technology at scale yet this decade providing customers with an option that is a low initial cost, extended vehicle range, powertrain installation commonality, and end user familiarity.”

Hydrogen engines can use zero-carbon green hydrogen fuel, produced by Cummins-manufactured electrolyzers. The projected investment in renewable hydrogen production globally will provide a growing opportunity for the deployment of hydrogen-powered fleets utilizing either Cummins fuel cell or engine power, the company said.

Cummins said it will showcase its decarbonization technologies at IAA in Hannover, Germany, later this month.

The company will also discuss its fuel-agnostic engine strategy at the upcoming Diesel Progress Summit. For more information and to register, go to https://dieselprogresssummit.com/.