Petredec has entered a strategic partnership with UK-based startup Carnot Engines to accelerate the development of high-efficiency, fuel-flexible engine technology for maritime, transporation and power generation applications.
Carnot Engines is developing an opposed-piston engine designed to operate on a range of fuels including LPG, hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, biofuels, biogas, LNG and diesel. The company says the engine can achieve thermal efficiencies of up to 70% under targeted operating conditions, which is significantly higher than conventional combustion engines.
According to the companies, the technology uses advanced high-temperature materials with this novel design to reduce heat losses and improve energy efficiency. The partnership will combine Petredec’s operational and industrial capabilities with Carnot’s engine development work to support deployment across multiple sectors.
Philip Harwood, fleet director at Petredec and a board member at Carnot Engines, said, “This partnership reflects our conviction that sustainability must be delivered through practical, implementable solutions. We are focused on achievable pathways that make our operations more efficient and environmentally responsible.”
He added that Petredec will fund research and development for an LPG version of the engine and become a shareholder in Carnot Engines. “Combining [LPG] with Carnot Engines’ highly efficient engines creates an optimal synergy to deliver cleaner power and transport at lower cost,” he said.
Carnot Engines CEO Archie Watts-Farmer said the agreement supports the company’s aim to deploy decarbonized power solutions in target markets. “Petredec’s deep expertise across the whole value chain provides the perfect knowledge to optimize our engines for LPG fuel, which we believe will provide a key role in the decarbonizing pathway for many industries,” he said.
Carnot Engines’ shareholders also include Oxford University Innovation, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Carisbrooke Shipping.
Durability testing of the engine is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2026, with initial commercial demonstrators expected in the second half of the year, subject to development milestones.
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