Fairbanks Morse Engine and Achates Power Team Up

Manufacturer of opposed-piston engines Fairbanks Morse Engine, an EnPro Industries company, signed a joint development and licensing agreement with Achates Power, Inc. —an innovator of improved internal combustion engines that are clean, more fuel efficient and lower cost—to reduce emissions and fuel consumption of Fairbanks Morse proprietary diesel and dual-fuel opposed-piston engines.

Fairbanks Morse opposed-piston engines have proven their reliability in a wide range of critical applications including nuclear standby power, emergency stationary power, telecommunications networks and commercial installations. Fairbanks Morse is also a provider of marine propulsion and ship service systems for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard. 

Achates Power began modernizing opposed-piston engines in 2004, inspired by the record-setting Junkers Jumo 205 diesel aircraft engine. After more than 4,500 hours of dynamometer testing, the company said it has demonstrated brake thermal efficiency of 47.8% while meeting the most stringent, global vehicle emissions standards.

“The benefits of two-stroke, opposed-piston designs are well-known – fewer moving parts, less maintenance and reduced operating costs,” said Fairbanks Morse President Marvin Riley.  “Fairbanks Morse opposed-piston engines have logged millions of operating hours and proven their reliability and durability under a wide range of conditions.  We anticipate that enhancing our field-proven opposed-piston engines with the latest fuel system technology and advanced combustion system from Achates Power will improve engine power and efficiencies and make these engines even more attractive for today’s demanding marketplace. ”

“Fairbanks Morse has a long and very distinguished history in the design, development and manufacture of opposed-piston engines,” said David Johnson, CEO, Achates Power.  “Having spent nearly 10 years applying the latest technology, science and engineering to modernize and enhance the opposed-piston engine, we have great confidence in our technology and its ability to achieve Fairbanks Morse’s goals.”

This announcement closely follows the recent selection of Fairbanks Morse by Ecopetrol, the primary oil and gas producer in Colombia, to provide five opposed-piston, two-stroke, dual-fuel engine-driven crude oil pump sets and auxiliary equipment for the Ayacucho-Covenas pipeline.  It also comes after news of key strategic Achates Power milestones, such as the close of its Series C financing, formation of an Industry Advisory Board, a joint contract with AVL Powertrain Engineering to develop the Next-Generation Combat Engine for the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) and selection as the first runner up in Securing America’s Future Energy “Energy Security Prize”.