On the right hand was the 2,500,000th engine, which rolled off the assembly line on April 26, while the left hand was the X15N — the fuel-agnostic engine that is driving a $452 million in investment at Cummins’ Jamestown Engine Plant.

Anna Dibble, Cummins Jamestown Engine Plant manager, noted the history of engine building in the Busti facility in 1976 before closing her remarks speaking to Cummins employees who took a brief break Monday to commemorate milestone engine before hearing encouraging words about the company’s future.

“I’d like to thank you all again for joining in this milestone accomplishment for the Cummins Jamestown Engine Plant,” Dibble said. “A key foundation of JEP is people working together toward excellence. As I look around the people in front of me there is no better display of the people that surround us each day to make this plant successful. To our 1,500-plus employees, contractors, engineers, team leaders, I’d like to thank you for your dedication perseverance to accomplish 2.5 million engines. Your hard work flexibility and ability to rise to challenges are what keeps this plant thriving.”

The space used for Monday’s news conference won’t be empty for long, according to Srikanth Padmanabhan, Cummins vice president and Engine Business president, and Dibble as installation begins for new equipment to make the X15N. The new engine should begin production at the Jamestown Engine Plant sometime in 2024.

Anna Dibble, Cummins Inc. Jamestown Engine Plant manager, is pictured holding a proclamation from one of the area’s state representatives.

“Not long ago I was here and this place was an old block and a headline that was there for the M11,” Padmanabhan said. “And it has been just really transformed. And I can’t wait to come in a year’s time to see the kinds of things that these folks are actually about to do.”

Cummins is investing $452 million to have the necessary equipment to upgrade the Jamestown Engine Plant’s 998,000 square-feet to produce the industry’s first fuel-agnostic internal combustion engine platform that leverages a range of lower carbon fuel types. The fuel-agnostic architecture of the 15-liter platform utilizes a common base engine with cylinder heads and fuel systems specifically tailored for it to use carbon-free hydrogen or biogas with up to a 90% carbon reduction.

“But right now, right now, the world is changing in front of us. And the world is changing in front of us and we want to be part of that. And Jamestown is part of that. And the reason that the world is changing is because of the fact that climate change is the existential of crises of our times. Decarbonisation is our method to help with that process. And our strategy towards that is Destination Zero. We at Cummins have publicly stated that by 2050, we will be net zero on carbon. By 2030 we will reduce by about 25% from where we were in 2018. And the first step in making that happen is what is on my right,” Padmanabhan said, gesturing to a tractor with an X15N engine installed. “The 2,500,000th engine is not a diesel engine, but it is a lower carbon fueled natural gas engine and when you use renewable natural gas that is negative in terms of carbon output that it does, and this plant is going to manufacture that.”

Things have moved quickly since Padmanabhan mentioned to Freightwaves magazine in February that Jamestown would be manufacturing the X15N engine. The engine, which has been used in China, recently underwent a cooperative live test as Walmart used a truck outfitted with a Cummins X15N engine powered by Chevron natural gas to haul freight from Indiana to California.

Padmanabhan said the test — as well as use in China — has been useful because Cummins can show it offers power and torque requirements that are similar to its diesel. Before natural gas engines were smaller and couldn’t be used for all applications, but the April test showed how far natural gas-powered engines have come.

Srikanth Padmanabhan, Cummins vice president and Engine Business president, speaks to Cummins Inc. Jamestown Engine Plant employees flanked by the 2,500,000th engine to come off the plant’s assembly line at right and a tractor with the newest X15N engine at far left. P-J photo by John Whittaker

Roughly 4,000 X15N engines have been produced, so Cummins officials have gotten customer feedback, if the engines are meeting fuel economy and making any changes that are needed. The accelerated process will benefit Jamestown — though Padmanabhan said Cummins is benefitting from the Jamestown Engine Plant as well.

Padmanabhan spoke highly of the Jamestown Engine Plant employees during his remarks Monday, holding up a book that dictates how Cummins employees and management should deal with each other every day. He also called the Jamestown Engine Plant the most flexible workforce of any of the company’s network of factories.

“The world is changing fast,” Padmanabhan said. “If we don’t move and stand still, I think we’re going to be left behind. That’s one. The second thing is Jamestown has always been a factory where they are responsive to needs. Once they say they are going to do something, they always do it at the time and in the quality levels and the cost targets that we set. Which is what makes us feel comfortable giving them stretch targets and they deliver what we ask them to deliver. I can’t be more pleased with what they’ve done.”

A host of local dignitaries were on hand at the Jamestown Engine Plant on Monday, including Hope Knight from Empire State Development, Jesse Robbins, Busti town supervisor, several Busti Town Board members, Mayor Eddie Sundquist, Lakewood Mayor Randy Holcomb and representatives of Congressman Nick Langworthy, state Assemblyman Andrew Goodell and state Sen. George Borrello.

County Executive PJ Wendel said his family has been involved with Cummins since his family moved from Maryland to southern Chautauqua County when Wendel’s father was hired to work at the plant. Wendel himself worked as a contour grinder and in other capacities at the plant.

Srikanth Padmanabhan, Cummins vice president and Engine Business president, is pictured speaking Monday at the company’s Jamestown Engine Plant. P-J photos by John Whittaker

“When we first met with Anna (Dibble, plant manager) and her administrative team a couple of months ago we talked about the 50th anniversary next year and Cummins’ commitment to the next 50 years here in Chautauqua County by this type of investment,” Wendel said. “What we’re doing today is groundbreaking.”