Investment in sustainability and greenhouse gas reduction by Cummins extends beyond its research into alternative fuels and vehicle electrification.

Electricity for Cummins’ Rocky Mountain Engine Plant (RMEP) in North Carolina is now being provided by the company’s largest solar array in the United States.

The RMEP solar installation will directly support the Cummins PLANET 2050 environmental sustainability strategy by using low-carbon renewable power.

The 2030 goals included in the Cummins PLANET 2050 strategy call for reducing absolute greenhouse gas emissions from facilities and operations by 50%. The RMEP solar array and increasing the use of renewable power will significantly help move closer to that target. 

The plant produces mid-range diesel and natural gas engines for more than 500 customers. It is a major employer in Nash County, North Carolina with over 1,800 people employed at the location.

The 3.62MW solar farm sits on 5.7Ha and will produce around 5.6 million kWh of power annually to reduce the plants commercial energy needs.

“We have ambitious sustainability goals in PLANET 2050 - aligned with the Paris climate accords and a target to be carbon-neutral by 2050 - and are fully committed to achieving them,” says Jennifer Rumsey, President and CEO, Cummins.

“To get there, our efforts must touch our products, customers, facilities, employees and supply chain. This project is a reflection of that, and our goal of reducing absolute greenhouse gas emissions from facilities and operations by half by 2030.”

Unique to RMEP, the project uses solar tracking panels. This system has a single-axis tracker allowing the panels to arc and track the sun as it rises and sets. This increases system efficiency without having to install more panels.

The largest solar array within the company is on top of the Beijing Foton Cummins Engine Company (BFCEC) in Beijing, China, one of the company’s busiest plants, while, RMEP is Cummins’ largest solar array in the United States and the largest Cummins owned solar installation globally.

Cummins has completed 51 solar array installations at locations around the world, with 35 of these projects completed since 2019. There are 21 installations in India - where Cummins to date has its largest renewable footprint.

Planning is underway for 44 additional solar installations at Cummins sites, including 15 projects in the US, nine locations in China and sites in Mexico, the UK and Australia.