GHG Emissions, Commercial, Sourcing Renewables  -  September 17, 2024

J.B. Hunt Deploys RNG in Demo

J.B. Hunt Transport Inc., a commercial fleet operator with logistics and transportation services in North America, will start operating trucks equipped with new engines that can use new renewable natural gas in a test capacity.

The company will work with Clean Energy Fuels Corp., a provider of renewable natural gas (RNG) for the transportation industry, which announced that it is launching a program to allow heavy-duty fleets to operate a truck equipped with the new Cummins X15N engine. 

The 2025 Peterbilt 579 day cab tractor, equipped with Cummins’ 15-liter X15N natural gas engine, will be available for fleets to test on their normal routes in up to two-week intervals. The fleets operating the demo truck will be able to utilize Clean Energy’s fueling infrastructure, which consists of over 600 stations across North America, 200 of which have public tractor-trailer access.  

“As a solutions-driven industry leader, we are constantly exploring and testing opportunities that have the potential to deliver value for customers who are looking to reduce carbon emissions in their supply chain,” said Greer Woodruff, executive vice president of safety, sustainability and maintenance at J.B. Hunt, in a statement. “We are excited to be the first carrier in Clean Energy’s pilot program and to get hands-on experience with the Cummins X15N tractor. Vehicles powered by renewable natural gas produce significantly less carbon emissions throughout their lifecycle and are more compatible with today’s available infrastructure than most competing emissions reduction technologies. The new technology and supporting fuel network in this pilot have the potential to be a viable, cost-effective solution for customers wanting to decrease their carbon footprint in the near term.”  

J.B. Hunt currently operates over 180 renewable natural gas-powered vehicles on behalf of customers. Alternative-powered vehicles and the adoption of biogenic fuels are two essential components for the company to achieve its goal to reduce its carbon emissions intensity 32% by 2034 from a baseline year of 2019. In 2023, J.B. Hunt surpassed the halfway mark for reaching its goal.

The X15N also has the ability to drastically reduce GHG emissions when powered by RNG. RNG is the cleanest commercial transportation fuel available and can have a negative carbon-intensity score allowing trucks to reduce their carbon emissions by up to 300% compared to diesel. This has made the new engine a game changer for heavy-duty fleets looking to reach sustainability goals and effectively decarbonize their operations immediately. 

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