Clean Hydrogen Developer Alliance With Cummins and Schneider Working on Heartland Hydrogen Hub to Serve the Needs of Long-Haul Trucking

“The decarbonization benefits of getting long-haul trucks off diesel and onto hydrogen are tremendous, and Cummins and Schneider are leaders we wanted at the table with us.”

Bakken Energy, an innovative developer of affordable clean hydrogen supply, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with each of Cummins Inc. and Schneider National Carriers Inc., to work together on the design of the Heartland Hydrogen Hub to serve the needs of long-haul trucking.

In conjunction with the States of North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Montana, Bakken Energy is working on the design of the Heartland Hydrogen Hub, a regional clean hydrogen hub recently announced by North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum. The Heartland Hydrogen Hub is solidly positioned to obtain federal funding through the Department of Energy’s $7 billion Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program announced on September 22, 2022, as part of the larger $8 billion hydrogen hub program funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The industry-led Hub will include Bakken Energy’s large scale affordable clean hydrogen production. Bakken Energy has been working with leaders in long-haul trucking on the infrastructure needed to cost effectively distribute clean hydrogen and accelerate the decarbonization of long-haul trucking. The shared vision led to an alliance with Cummins and Schneider.

“We are honored to have Cummins and Schneider join us in our work to develop a hydrogen hub in the Upper Midwest,” said Bakken Energy Founder and Chairman Steve Lebow. “The decarbonization benefits of getting long-haul trucks off diesel and onto hydrogen are tremendous, and Cummins and Schneider are leaders we wanted at the table with us.”

Long-haul trucking provides for scale to accelerate clean hydrogen adoption and CO2 emissions reduction. The impact of converting one diesel-fueled, Class 8 heavy duty truck to clean hydrogen fuel is equivalent to eliminating the CO2 emissions of thirty-one gasoline fueled passenger vehicles.

Bakken Energy is committed to the development of world class, large scale, affordable, clean hydrogen production facilities in North Dakota, including the transformation of the Great Plains Synfuels Plant using natural gas from the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation that would otherwise be flared, including carbon capture and sequestration.

“Our focus in developing clean hydrogen production is scale and affordability,” said Bakken Energy CEO Mike Hopkins. “We want to make a difference in advancing the US hydrogen economy. In our region, the Upper Midwest, the clear market is long-haul trucking. Trucking-industry leaders have decided hydrogen will be a replacement for diesel and we want to make sure clean hydrogen supply meets their needs by partnering with them on the design of the Hub and in particular the distribution infrastructure.”

Cummins is a global power leader, helping customers navigate the energy transition with a broad portfolio of market-leading zero-emissions technologies. This includes hydrogen-producing electrolyzers, hydrogen fuel cells for mobility and stationary applications, and battery-electric powertrains and components. Cummins has a long history of advanced technology and engineering capabilities and has been part of many of the world’s hydrogen “firsts,” including powering the world’s largest PEM electrolyzer system in operation at 20MW and the world’s first 100% hydrogen-powered passenger train fleet.

“Hydrogen hubs will be important to scaling the hydrogen economy in the United States and decarbonizing the trucking industry. We’re excited to join Bakken and Schneider in this effort,” said Amy Adams, Vice President of Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technologies at Cummins. “The DOE’s investment in the development of clean hydrogen production, in addition to the tax credits available in the Inflation Reduction Act, have made these commercial partnerships possible sooner, representing the best of public-private innovation initiatives.”

Schneider, a premier multimodal provider of transportation, intermodal and logistics services headquartered in Green Bay, WI, is leading the industry with their sustainability efforts to reduce carbon emissions. “We see great potential with clean hydrogen to help deliver on our goals to reduce carbon emissions as well as play a key role in helping our customers meet their goals,” said Schneider Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Rob Reich. “Schneider is looking forward to this collaboration with Bakken Energy to lead the industry in clean hydrogen adoption.”

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