Cummins to trial RNG, green hydrogen at new powertrain test facility
Cummins, a manufacturer of power generation equipment, will open a new powertrain test facility in the UK to help accelerate the move towards cleaner, next-generation technologies.
The facility in the Tees Valley will be fuel-agnostic and will enable Cummins to develop and test a wider range of power technologies, including the latest universal engine platforms with variants able to operate on RNG, green hydrogen and sustainable diesel. Installation and testing capacity will also extend to hydrogen fuel cell and battery electric powertrains.
Highly advanced dynamometers will test not only power trains but also chassis-installed powertrains and vehicles, ranging from a compact SUV to heavy trucks over 44 tons and a double-deck bus. Off-road equipment, including construction machines and agricultural tractors, will also be able to be dyno-tested.
Ground preparation work for the new facility at Cummins’s Darlington campus is now underway, with the first phase of the £14 million (€16.8 million) investment expected to open for operations by May 2023.
“We are very excited to announce this significant investment in the new powertrain test facility at Darlington, which will be an important element in Cummins’s Destination Zero strategy to deliver a broad portfolio of power solutions to meet the world’s sustainability challenges,” said Jonathan Atkinson, executive director of Cummins On-highway Business in Europe.
“The new facility will further enhance the ability of Cummins’s European Technical Operations to introduce low-to-zero carbon power solutions and meet the forthcoming Euro VII very low emission regulations likely to take effect around 2025.”
Cummins’s focus on developing next-generation clean power aligns with the vision of the Tees Valley region to become a leader in alternative power production.
Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, commented: “It’s brilliant news that Cummins is set to invest £14 million (€16.8 million) into their Darlington plant to build a new powertrain test facility. Teesside’s leading position as ground zero for net zero means there is no better place to develop the cleaner, healthier, and safer technologies of the future.
“We’ve already seen how Cummins’s position at the forefront of developments into hydrogen engines is securing hundreds of jobs at its facility and this new investment is another great example of how it is creating even more good-quality, well-paid jobs by developing and pushing forward net-zero innovation in Teesside.”
The facility in the Tees Valley will be fuel-agnostic and will enable Cummins to develop and test a wider range of power technologies, including the latest universal engine platforms with variants able to operate on RNG, green hydrogen and sustainable diesel. Installation and testing capacity will also extend to hydrogen fuel cell and battery electric powertrains.
Highly advanced dynamometers will test not only power trains but also chassis-installed powertrains and vehicles, ranging from a compact SUV to heavy trucks over 44 tons and a double-deck bus. Off-road equipment, including construction machines and agricultural tractors, will also be able to be dyno-tested.
Ground preparation work for the new facility at Cummins’s Darlington campus is now underway, with the first phase of the £14 million (€16.8 million) investment expected to open for operations by May 2023.
“We are very excited to announce this significant investment in the new powertrain test facility at Darlington, which will be an important element in Cummins’s Destination Zero strategy to deliver a broad portfolio of power solutions to meet the world’s sustainability challenges,” said Jonathan Atkinson, executive director of Cummins On-highway Business in Europe.
“The new facility will further enhance the ability of Cummins’s European Technical Operations to introduce low-to-zero carbon power solutions and meet the forthcoming Euro VII very low emission regulations likely to take effect around 2025.”
Cummins’s focus on developing next-generation clean power aligns with the vision of the Tees Valley region to become a leader in alternative power production.
Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, commented: “It’s brilliant news that Cummins is set to invest £14 million (€16.8 million) into their Darlington plant to build a new powertrain test facility. Teesside’s leading position as ground zero for net zero means there is no better place to develop the cleaner, healthier, and safer technologies of the future.
“We’ve already seen how Cummins’s position at the forefront of developments into hydrogen engines is securing hundreds of jobs at its facility and this new investment is another great example of how it is creating even more good-quality, well-paid jobs by developing and pushing forward net-zero innovation in Teesside.”
