As Shell continues to demonstrate a commitment to the decarbonization of the transport industry, the Shell Starship initiative has led the way forward since 2018. This project seeks to demonstrate how Class 8 truck sector energy usage can be reduced by leveraging today’s existing energy efficient technologies.
Like the first two versions, the new Starship 3.0 will capitalize on some of the latest available technology, including being powered by renewable natural gas. “Shell Starship 3.0 will feature some of the best-in-class technologies which are leading the way forward in helping decarbonize the heavy transport sector,” said Dr. Selda Gunsel, President of Shell Global Solutions and VP Fuels and Lubricants Technology, Shell.
The Class 8 truck will now be powered by a Cummins X15N™ natural gas engine that will run on Shell biomethane, which is commercially available and has a low carbon intensity rating.
“The combination of Shell Renewable Natural Gas fuels for fleets and quality, low-friction Shell Rotella lubricants made a natural gas engine a great choice for the next evolution of Starship,” continued Dr. Gunsel.
Shell Starship 3.0 will make a demonstration run on the West Coast of the U.S. in preparation for a cross-country demonstration run from San Diego, California, to Jacksonville, Florida, in August. The two previous cross-country runs have followed this route. The North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) will again monitor and verify the results.
The initiative will deliver a material demonstration of sustainable freight ton efficiency, utilizing the key performance metric, ton-miles of goods shifted per kilogram of CO2 emitted. The truck will showcase how fleets today can reduce their energy usage and carbon emissions, without losing focus on the cost of their operations. The natural gas engine using Shell renewable CNG will reduce emissions when compared with a diesel engine.
Source: Shell
Photo: CoynePR
