Stockholm  - Volvo Aero, a division of the Volvo group, said Monday it has signed an agreement to partner with Pratt & Whitney on a geared turbofan engine.

The deal was expected to generate sales of 50 billion kronor (8.4 billion dollars) over a 40-year period, Volvo Aero said, adding it was its "largest involvement in a commercial engine programme ever."

The Volvo group does not include the Ford-owned car division.

The statement said Volvo Aero was to be "responsible for three major components" for geared turbofan engines for the 70- to 90-seat Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) and the Bombardier CSeries aircraft that seats 100 to 149 passengers.

"We are delighted to have reached this agreement with Pratt & Whitney, not least because we know that this engine will contribute to improving the environment by reducing fuel consumption, emissions and noise," Volvo Aero president Olof Persson said. (dpa)