Port of Hueneme to use exhaust-sucking barges to control emissions

The US Port of Hueneme, North of Los Angeles, is deploying self-propelled barges to capture emissions from at-berth vessels under a new collaboration with STAX Engineering.

The port will be the latest to use STAX’s barges, which deploy a long boom with a vacuum pipe to envelop the exhaust stack of a vessel at berth to capture engine emissions. Exhaust fumes are drawn down to the barge, where the company claims its processes remove 99% of particulate matter (PM) and 95% of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), before releasing the gas stream.

The barges were approved by the California Air Resources Board to provide emissions capture and control services to container and car carrier vessels under local regulations for ships at-berth. The other common method of meeting the emissions standards is to provide shore power to a vessel, allowing its auxiliary engines to shut off. 

Hueneme’s shore power substation was damaged during heavy storm flooding in December 2023, and efforts are underway to redesign, rebuild, and restore the service.

Celina Zacarias, Board President for the Oxnard Harbor District said: “The storm damage has created an opportunity to continue showing how resilient our Port can really be. We are putting the community first through this type of collaboration, and we will continue to pursue these types of partnerships so that our neighbors can rest assured that their Port is doing everything in its power to reduce its emissions.”

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STAX has already served 83 vessels at berth totalling 4,000 operating hours, and offers services at the Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach, and Port of Oakland. The company closed a $40m funding round in July to accelerate its barge building programme. Two STAX barges are in operation, with two others nearing completion.

NYK Line announced earlier this year that its vessels will use STAX’s services while in Californian ports from January 2025, and Hyundai Glovis has also signed up to use the barges in multiple Californian ports. Demand for at-berth emissions reduction solutions is expected to grow as California’s regulation expands to more vessel types over time.

“One of the most important aspects of STAX technology is that it breaks fleet operator dependence on the local grid,” says STAX Engineering CEO, Mike Walker. “Shore power isn’t always available due to factors like major storms, limited outlet access, and vessel incompatibility. Our solution addresses these challenges, providing an easy, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly solution that solves the at-berth regulation requirements for ports like the Port of Hueneme.”
 

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