In the UK, California’s STAX Engineering announced it will deploy its emissions capture barge at the Port of Southampton as part of PortZero, a UK-funded pilot aimed at cleaning up ship exhaust without shore power or retrofits. The company joins a consortium led by Seabound, along with Associated British Ports and Lomar Shipping, backed by £1.1 million from the UK’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.
The system combines STAX’s barge, which captures 99 percent of particulate matter and 95 percent of nitrogen oxides, with Seabound’s unit, which isolates most of the carbon dioxide and sulfur. The mobile platform can be deployed without altering ships or building new infrastructure, offering an immediate workaround to ports still lagging in shore power coverage.
According to the UK Department for Transport, only 20 percent of shore power required under EU rules has been installed or commissioned in major European ports. STAX and Seabound’s floating solution is pitched as a faster, cheaper alternative.
The demonstration builds on a showcase held in April and signals a pivot from pilot to practice for post-combustion control in maritime settings. Southampton will host the first installation, using vessels from Lomar Shipping. The message from backers is clear: clean air need not wait for new docks or redesigned fleets.
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Category: Sustainable Marine Fuels
