During a collaborative press event at ACT Expo, the California Natural Gas Vehicle Partnership (CNGVP) and Cummins Inc. presented the near-zero emission X15N 15-liter natural gas engine, along with an announcement that the energy weighted carbon intensity value of all natural gas used for transportation fuel in California was below zero in 2021.
The pairing of this engine and fuel combination will offer shippers and carriers an immediate and cost-effective net-zero carbon solution, enabling them to make progress toward their corporate sustainability goals.
Designed as a solution for Class 8 freight trucks, the Cummins X15N will offer ratings up to 500 hp and 1,850 ft-lbs. of torque. The engine will have a similar physical footprint as its existing 12-liter natural gas engine, and Cummins is actively working with major OEMs to integrate the engine.
“In California, a heavy-duty truck with a Cummins’ 15-liter natural gas engine can provide the greatest GHG emissions benefit compared to all commercially available options, all while significantly outperforming diesel trucks on a cost-per-mile basis,” said Tom Swenson, manager of global regulatory affairs at Cummins and president of CNGVP.
In 2021, approximately 98% of natural gas used for transportation in California came from methane emitted by renewable sources, including landfill waste, livestock manure, wastewater treatment plants, food and green waste, dead trees, and agricultural waste. Capturing and harnessing the methane emissions from these sources as a renewable fuel is the most immediate and effective step that can be taken to reduce GHG emissions.
Growth in the volume of swine and dairy gas being reported into California’s LCFS program is the main factor continuing to drive the carbon intensity value of natural gas transportation fuel lower. With new production facilities continuing to come online, California-produced RNG is anticipated to have an average energy weighted carbon intensity of negative 101.74 gCO2e/MJ by January 2024.
“With the carbon intensity value of natural gas transportation fuel continuing to plunge further below zero as California’s RNG supply ramps up, the economic and environmental benefits of operating trucks with the Cummins X15N 15-liter natural gas engine will continue to improve for years to come,” said Ashley Remillard, vice president of legal and government affairs at Hexagon Agility, and vice president of CNGVP.
