CUMMINS

Company will invest in electrification in Brazil

Cummins announced this Thursday (25) afternoon its new business unit called New Power. Thus, the manufacturer starts offering in Brazil 100% electric propellants for commercial vehicles.

It is the fifth business unit of the brand. In this sense, there is the division of engines and components (filters, turbos and after-treatment). As well as power generation and distribution units.

However, according to the sales director at Cummins, Maurício Rossi, the new division is based on three pillars. In other words, always focusing on 100% electrical energy generation. Thus, the creation of new technologies and products for battery-powered commercial electric vehicles. Aiming both road vehicles, such as urban buses, medium-distance and semi-light trucks such as vans and vans. As well as off-road equipment like construction machines and tractors, for example.

In the second pillar, electrification will take place through the fuel cell. And the third pillar is aimed at creating solutions for industrial and commercial hydrogen generation. Just like megawatt-scale energy storage. In other words, Cummins, in addition to the hydrogen production infrastructure, wants to offer the fuel cell supply infrastructure.

Cummins may lead the country's hydrogen supply...For Cummins, battery-powered vehicles will serve as a bridge to those powered by fuel cells. The latter will allow 100% reduction of particulates. As well as all the contamination caused by pollutant emissions. For that reason, Cummins will have a range of fuel cell modules. Offered with multiple possibilities. And that can be combined according to the customer's type of operation.

Rossi explains that using a solar panel or a wind converter, it is possible to generate energy for the production of hydrogen itself with the brand's new range of electrolysers. The new hydrogen generation equipment can be used in a variety of applications. From vehicles, the petrochemical industry, fertilizers, among others. In this sense, for Cummins the conveyor will have an electrolyser. So it can produce its own fuel. And more economically.

To contemplate delivering complete solutions, Cummins announced the purchase of Nprox, a company that manufactures hydrogen storage tanks. As a result, the company now offers fuel cell modules, electrolyzers and storage tanks.

Designing a new transport...However, until electrification takes place, Cummins is prepared to meet the needs of road transport in the short term. Thus, the president of Cummins Brazil, Adriano Rishi, explains that the company will offer products to meet the Proconve P8 (Euro 6). Program that establishes a reduction of around 77% of NOx and of approximately 66% of particulate matter in relation to the current Proconve P7 (Euro V). And that takes effect in January 2023.

For this, the company invested R$ 170 million (local currency). Thus, in the portfolio there are engines from 2.8 to 15 liters. Likewise, Cummins is betting on gas. And it has 7, 9, 12 and 15 liters propellers with the technology.

According to Rossi, some trends are starting to take shape in the country. In e-commerce overnight deliveries, electric vehicles, powered by fuel cells or hydrogen, will be more common. In the case of garbage collection, gas trucks should predominate. With cases of companies that already produce their own fuel based on biomass. Likewise, the executive also mentions the sugar-alcohol group, which from sugar cane generates biomass that produces biogas.

Market for Cummins topped 2019...Cummins, which recently completed 50 years in Brazil, estimates ending 2021 with 45 to 47 thousand engines sold. If this materializes, the brand will register 50% growth compared to 2020. When compared to 2019, Cummins surpasses in volumes, since that year there were 33 thousand units registered. The company invested R$ 65 million (local currency) in Brazil. Of which R$16 million were allocated to the company's modernization.

For 2022, even with the difficulties related to the supply of components, the president of Cummins estimates growth between 5% and 10%.