Volvo Group and Westport Fuel Systems Inc. have recently signed a letter of intent to establish a collaborative venture, aiming to globalize and commercialize Westport's High-Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) fuel system technology. This technology is designed for long-haul and off-road trucking applications, with a strong focus on reducing carbon emissions.
As part of this partnership, Volvo will not only be a significant customer of the joint venture but also actively support the technology's availability to other manufacturers in the market. The HPDI system has been acclaimed for its cost-effective approach to substantially cutting down carbon emissions in the trucking industry, presenting itself as an available alternative to the more expensive fuel cell system.
Furthermore, the HPDI fuel system technology facilitates seamless integration with diesel-fueled products, allowing for a high level of compatibility. Westport says that it is feasible to replace diesel with environmentally friendly alternatives like biogas or hydrogen, without compromising the durability, affordability, efficiency, and performance attributes typically associated with diesel-powered systems.
As part of the agreement, Westport will contribute its HPDI assets and activities to the joint venture. Volvo, on the other hand, will acquire a 45 percent stake in the JV for approximately 28 million USD initially, with the possibility of additional investment amounting to up to 45 million USD, contingent on the JV's performance.
“Decarbonization with internal combustion engines running on renewable fuels, especially with HPDI, plays an important part in sustainable solutions. HPDI has been on the road in Volvo trucks for over five years and is a proven technology that allows customers to significantly reduce CO2 emissions in LBG (liquefied biogas) applications here and now and is a potential avenue for hydrogen.”
For a span of five years in Europe, Volvo has successfully employed its technology. However, the technology does not achieve complete zero tailpipe emissions as a minute quantity of diesel pilot fuel is introduced into the cylinder before the gas in order to initiate ignition. Think of it as diesel being used as starting fluid.
Despite this, the HPDI system boasts significant advantages such as increased horsepower and torque. According to Westport, diesel pilot fuel can be readily substituted with other carbon-neutral fuels, allowing for even more environmentally friendly operations, so if diesel isn’t handy, owners of trucks fitted with these systems will have other pilot fuel options open to them.
