Powering Today for Tomorrow: Cummins Integrated Gas Generators

Each day, global energy demand grows exponentially, and with it the need for clean, reliable resources. Enter natural gas and Cummins integrated gas generators.

An essential part in powering the modern world, natural gas ranks third in global energy production, just behind oil and coal. This abundant, clean-burning fuel source accounts for roughly a third of our energy and electricity in the U.S., and we've been its leading global producer for over a decade.

Cummins recognized the potential of natural gas long before it became an international commodity, developing high-horsepower, lean-burn natural gas generators for industrial applications, focusing on combined heat and power (CHP). Also known as natural gas generators, these integrated gas generators use a process called cogeneration to produce both electricity and thermal energy, reducing consumption, lowering emissions and decreasing total costs. 

But Kelly Samons, Sales Director for Integrated Gas and Microgrids Business, says this was just the beginning. Since entering the integrated gas space, Cummins natural gas generators have evolved from their CHP-driven origins, becoming versatile and dependable solutions for a range of high-power needs.

"Natural gas power generation solutions are now viable for much more than just combined heat and power or cogeneration," says Samons. "The range of applications is all-inclusive, including prime power, island mode power, which is separated from the utility, continuous power for bridging the gap to meet emerging energy needs or increasing energy demands, and [emergency] standby power."

To provide all-inclusive power, Samons says, Cummins integrated gas generators are ready for the long haul, short spurts, and everything in between.

"These products are designed to operate 24 hours a day, all year long. They've got a robust design to start with, and that's intended to last for 15 or more years. So, the life cycle of the design capability is 80,000 hours to the first major overhaul or rebuild, plus the life of the rebuild. You go from that end of the spectrum to standby. Standby generators may operate 100 hours per year for 20 years. So, you've got 100 hours per year for 20 years versus 8000 hours per year for 20 years. So, we have versatility within the product to meet either of those two extremes and many things in the middle."

And with versatile power comes versatile applications. From backup to long-term use, Cummins integrated gas generators are critical components for facilities and large businesses, particularly in times of crisis, functioning in inclement weather to power pump stations during critical flood control, pairing with diesel to help healthcare facilities fight rolling blackouts, or simply providing flexible, reliable power to the places that need it, when they need it most. 

It's a simple philosophy, Samons says, that makes this possible. 

"It starts with the product design and the kind of the rigorous development and test program that goes into [it] as it's being developed."

"Cummins likes to call it the Power of One," he continues. "Cummins has all of the content of the power generation solution in-house, from the engines to the alternators to the controllers. It's an all-Cummins product and an all-Cummins sales and support network throughout the life cycle of project development and project operation and maintenance and ownership."

"Those are some of the things that really kind of set Cummins apart," Samons says. 

"No matter where you go in the world, the service is coming from a Cummins entity for a product that is fully Cummins from end to end."

Global solutions using global resources to solve global problems. That's more than just CHP. It's how Cummins integrated gas generators are helping to power a sustainable future. 

For more on Cummins integrated gas generators, visit https://www.cummins.com/generators/natural-gas