Chevron and Cummins Look to the Future and Partner on Hydrogen

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Energy companies operating in the current market mirror the moves of a professional boxer. They bob, duck and move to continue to compete in a threatened and changing market. Attempting to embrace the onset of an alternate-energy world, Chevron and Cummins joined forces through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to seek out viable opportunities in the hydrogen market. 

MoU Objectives

The two industry leaders developed a blueprint of how they will collaborate and accomplish their goals. Four main objectives will provide the course:

  1. Advancing public policy that harnesses hydrogen as a solution to reduce the carbon footprint for transportation and industry.
  2. Promoting hydrogen as a power source for commercial vehicles.
  3. Developing infrastructure, making the use of hydrogen realistic in industry and fuel cell vehicles.
  4. Seeking opportunities to pair Cummins’ electrolyzer and fuel cell vehicle technology with Chevron at one or more of its domestic refineries.

“Chevron is committed to developing and delivering affordable, reliable, ever-cleaner energy, and collaborating with Cummins is a positive step toward our goal of building a large-scale business in a lower-carbon area that is complementary to our current offerings,” said Andy Walz, President of Chevron’s Americas Fuels and Lubricants. “Hydrogen is just one lower-carbon solution we are investing in that will position our customers to reduce the carbon intensity of their businesses and everyday lives. We’ve also invested in developing and supplying renewable natural gas, blending renewables into our fuels, co-processing bio feedstocks in our refineries, and abatement projects that will reduce the carbon intensity of our operations.”

Why Hydrogen?

Hydrogen finds itself in the spotlight as the potential future face of the energy sector. For various reasons, the gas serves as a viable contender in providing clean energy at costs that will not necessarily break the bank. Even if those costs prove to be greater in utilizing hydrogen as an everyday fuel, its benefits still prevail:

  • Hydrogen is environmentally friendly
  • When combusted, hydrogen produces no carbon dioxide, just water and heat.
  • Hydrogen can be used to reduce CO2 emissions in electricity, heating, transport and industry
  • It is easy to blend with other fuels, and its transportation proves to be less than challenging

Future Fuel

While hydrogen fuel sources grow in popularity and prove to be a contender in the future energy market, a complete transition will not occur overnight. In fact, 70% of all investments will be funded by the government or inspired by governmental policy. That other 30% will be provided by funds through innovative partnerships and private applications, such as the Chevron and Cummins venture. 

“Working with Chevron to advance hydrogen technology and accelerate ecosystem development helps us continue our goal in enabling a carbon-neutral world,” said Amy Davis, President of New Power at Cummins. “The energy transition is happening, and we recognize the critical role hydrogen will play in our energy mix. We’ve deployed more than 2,000 fuel cells and 600 electrolyzers around the world and are exploring other hydrogen alternatives, including a hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine as we continue to accelerate and harness hydrogen’s powerful potential.”



Nick Vaccaro is a freelance writer and photographer. Besides providing technical writing services, he is an HSE consultant in the oil and gas industry with eight years of experience. He also contributes to Louisiana Sportsman Magazine and follows and photographs American Kennel Club field and herding trials. Nick has a BA in Photojournalism from Loyola University and resides in the New Orleans area. 210-240-7188 [email protected]

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