Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) today announced Euro 6 (VI) engine compatibility for use with Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) renewable diesel and other EN 15940 Paraffinic fuels, representing a significant step forward to reduce the carbon footprint of Cummins-powered bus, truck and coach fleets operating in Europe. Compared with conventional fossil-based diesel, HVO offers the potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40 to 90 percent over the total life cycle of the fuel, dependent on the level of sustainable feedstock used in the production process.
HVO renewable diesel can be used as a 100 percent substitute for standard EN 590 Ultra-Low Sulphur Diesel without requiring any change to the Cummins engine. No additional engine maintenance is required when using HVO, and the same fuel filters are retained. HVO is easily blended with standard diesel at varying percentages, including winter grade fuels. Renewable diesel has the same stability and cold-resistant properties as conventional diesel, which means it can be used and stored in the same way.
After an extensive test program running on 100 percent HVO renewable diesel, Cummins F3.8, B4.5, B6.7 and L9 engines have been demonstrated to the regulatory authorities as being compliant with Euro 6 emissions standards. Tailpipe emissions of Particulate Matter (PM) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are no higher when using HVO than with standard diesel.
“HVO diesel and other Paraffinic fuels offer a useful low carbon alternative fuel for transport and have now reached a point of commercial maturity and standardization at which Cummins is pleased to confirm compatibility with our current Euro 6 engine lineup,” said Ashley Watton, Cummins Director – On-Highway Europe.
“Our HVO test program covered a range of vehicle duty cycles, so we are confident that bus and truck operators can undertake a seamless transition to using HVO without impacting their vehicle operations or engine reliability,” Watton added.
Cummins approval for the use of renewable diesel with Euro 6 engines aligns with the recent introduction of EN 15940, a final European CEN specification for Paraffinic diesel fuels, including HVO, Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) and Biomass-to-Liquids (BTL). It is required that operators of Cummins-powered trucks and buses in Europe should source HVO and other Paraffinic fuels from high quality suppliers meeting EN 15940, as this will ensure that the fuel contains the necessary lubricity additive for use in a diesel engine.
Using Paraffinic fuels such as HVO may result in a marginal reduction in engine power, due to those fuels having lower energy content than conventional diesel, but that should not affect the vehicle operation to any significant extent. In terms of specific fuel consumption, vehicle testing has demonstrated little difference between using HVO renewable diesel and conventional fuel, though this can vary depending on the duty cycle.
A Cummins test program is nearing completion in North America to evaluate HVO compatibility with EPA compliant engines, with an announcement to follow.
