Cummins Japan Steps in to Provide G-Drive Engines for a Market Under Pressure

Where: Japan

What: 29 emissionized G-Drive engines in the 500 - 1100 kVA range

Purpose: Containerized standby power for sale or rental to TDS customers

Japan has a competitive diesel engine market served by high-quality manufacturers. Their main focus, however, is generally on the industrial and automotive sectors. They tend to have less focus on generator sets. It has long been a possibility that a sudden and unexpectedly heavy demand for diesel engines could cause a shortage of supply in the generator set sector.

This has now happened, and quite suddenly. The reason is a tragic one. The Japanese earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 left a trail of lost lives and devastation. The impact on infrastructure was horrendous, though the response from the community at all levels has been huge. A lot needs replacing, and there is a demand for power of all kinds.

“Japanese diesel engine manufacturers have been under pressure to meet demand,” comments Tatsuo Hoshino, Leader of Engine Sales and Engineering at Cummins Japan Ltd. DBU. “After the earthquake and tsunami almost none of the engine suppliers could supply to generator set manufacturers.”

The pressure was felt by all of the country’s generator set suppliers, including Tokyo Electrical Co. Ltd (TDS), the second largest in the Japanese standby market. TDS sells or rents its generator sets as containerized units for mission critical sites such as factories and hospitals. Cummins Japan had already been an occasional supplier of engines to them, delivering a single QSX15 engine the previous year.Now it could offer to help in a bigger way.

In May, TDS placed an order for 29 emissionized G-Drive engines in the 500 - 1100 kV A range. Some of them will be sold to TDS customers, others ar e being made available for rental. All the engines are emissions certified.

Cummins Japan is supplying a mix of engines. The major part comprises 25 QSX15 G8 engines, but there are also 10 C220 and C330 generator sets, three C550 generator sets and one QST30 G4 engine. The emissionized G-Drive engines are designated as standby, but are rated for prime power.

“They selected our QSX15 G8 because of the cost, and because our engine’s environmental care is good compared with a Japanese engine. They are naturally concerned about price, but also emissions, and our QSX15 engine is very competitive with Japanese engines in both costs and emissions,” Tatsuo explains.

The new relationship made with TDS in the tragic aftermath of a national disaster looks set to become an important and longstanding one. TDS is aiming to follow up this order with others on a regular basis. Cummins Japan now anticipates orders from TDS for around 25-30 engines a year.

Cummins G-Drive engines are renowned for delivering vital prime, standby or continuous power solutions to help keep the world on the move. To meet the international demand for its products, Cummins manufacturing centers are currently sited in key cities around the world including across the UK, the USA, Brazil, Turkey, India, China, South Korea, Japan and Singapore.

Japanese diesel engine manufacturers have been under pressure to meet demand. After the earthquake and tsunami almost none of the engine suppliers could supply to generator set manufacturers.