Volvo Group and Westport Fuel Systems Collaborate to Replace Diesel with Zero-Carbon Fuels for Long-Haul Transport

March 13, 2024
The HPDI fuel system technology can be applied in vehicles with internal combustion engines to replace greenhouse gas-emitting fuels with zero-carbon fuels

The Volvo Group and Westport Fuel Systems have agreed to a joint venture to accelerate the commercialization and global adoption of Westport's High-Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) fuel system technology for long-haul and off-road applications.

The HPDI fuel system technology can be applied in vehicles with internal combustion engines to replace greenhouse gas-emitting fuels, like diesel, with carbon-neutral or zero-carbon fuels such as biogas or hydrogen. 

The joint venture will be operational following the formal closing expected in Q2 2024, subject to certain closing conditions, including regulatory and government approvals.

"Decarbonization with internal combustion engines running on renewable fuels, especially with High-Pressure Direct Injection, plays an important part in sustainable solutions,” said Stenqvist, Chief Technology Officer of The Volvo Group. “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 Liquified Biogas applications here and now and is a potential avenue for hydrogen.”

The Volvo Group will acquire a 45% interest in the joint venture for approximately $28 million, to be paid on closing, and an additional $45 million, depending on the joint venture's performance.

Westport will contribute certain HPDI assets and opportunities to the joint venture, including related fixed assets, intellectual property, and business. 

About the Author

EnergyTech Staff

Rod Walton is senior editor for EnergyTech.com. He has spent 14 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist.

Walton formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

He can be reached at [email protected]

EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids.

Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.