Paul Cotton
We are pleased to welcome Paul Cotton as a key technical consultant for CARNOT. Paul spent 25 years at Rolls-Royce holding numerous senior leadership positions including Chief Design Engineer Future Programmes. Paul…
Carnot Engines Redefining Heavy-Duty Power for a Decarbonized Future
The Challenge: How to replace the Diesel Engine?
At Carnot we are taking on the biggest challenge of our age; decarbonizing heavy-duty power and how to replace diesel engines.
Hard-to-abate sectors — from shipping to long-haul road transport to remote power generation — face the biggest challenge in reaching net zero. Traditional internal combustion engine and especially diesel engines, waste much of their fuel energy as heat, and many cannot operate effectively on next-generation low-carbon fuels like hydrogen or ammonia.
Decarbonizing heavy-duty power requires technology that combines exceptional fuel efficiency with full fuel flexibility, without compromising on performance, reliability, or cost-effectiveness.
Carnot Engines – The World’s most efficient, multi-fuel engine
At Carnot Engines, we are developing the world’s most efficient engines. Conventional engines operate around 35% efficiency, where a Carnot Engine can operate at over 70% break thermal efficiency. By doubling fuel efficient, we half fuel consumption, delivering enormous cost savings to our customers.
A Carnot Engine can also work on any fuel, and switch anytime. A Carnot Engine can run on:
- Hydrogen
- Ammonia
- Methanol
- HVO/Biofuels
- Biogas
- LNG
- Diesel
Our design targets >70% brake thermal efficiency — more than double the efficiency of many conventional diesel engines. By operating at higher temperatures and eliminating most cooling losses, Carnot Engines aim to dramatically reduce fuel consumption and slash greenhouse gas emissions across the toughest sectors.
Applications Across Multiple Sectors
Our technology is built for the hardest jobs in the most demanding environments:
Maritime power — main propulsion and auxiliary power units (APUs) for ships
Heavy-duty road transport — trucks, buses, and specialist vehicles
Off-grid and industrial power generation — remote mining, construction, and backup systems
These sectors demand high reliability, long service life, and global maintainability — our engines are being engineered to meet or exceed these benchmarks.
Driving Maritime Decarbonization
Shipping accounts for nearly 3% of global CO₂ emissions, and international regulations are tightening fast. Carnot Engines is working with leading shipping companies to demonstrate hydrogen and ammonia-fuelled engines in real-world maritime environments.
Upcoming trials include:
Hydrogen-powered auxiliary engine testing aboard a commercial vessel
- Hydrogen Engines for Shipping with the UK’s first hydrogen auxiliary engine sea trials
Ammonia-fuelled APU retrofit projects for improved efficiency and emissions reduction
- Ammonia Marine Engines and Auxiliary power units
- Fuel-Flexible high efficiency engines
- Decarbonised Port Power
Designed for the Net-Zero Transition
Our approach solves three critical barriers to decarbonizing heavy-duty power:
Fuel flexibility — switch between low-carbon fuels as supply chains develop
High efficiency — reduced fuel use means lower emissions and operating costs
Modular scalability — from smaller APUs to MW-scale maritime powerplants
This combination allows operators to begin cutting emissions now while staying adaptable for future fuels and standards.
Carnot have partnered with Oz Minerals to develop zero emission off-grid power. One of the key sources of emissions for Oz Minerals is the diesel generators that are needed to…