The Port of Hueneme is collaborating with STAX Engineering on a mobile emissions capture and control system, it was announced Aug. 6.
The port’s shoreside power system was damaged by a storm that flooded the port last December, prompting the port to look for a way to curb environmental impacts, leading to the collaboration with STAX.
The partnership has resulted in what’s being called a ‘first-of-its-kind’ system with mobile floating barges that allow for the placement of filters on ocean-going vessel stacks and help clean pollutants such as particulate matter and nitrogen oxide.
The system is designed to contain a vessel’s smokestack, allowing emissions to be captured at the source. The barges run on renewable diesel.
“The storm damage has created an opportunity to continue showing how resilient our port can really be,” said Celina Zacarias, board president for the Oxnard Harbor District, which oversees the port.
“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 and continue moving forward toward the goal,” she added.
“One of the most important aspects of STAX technology is that it breaks fleet operator dependence on the local grid,” STAX Engineering CEO Mike Walker said. “Shore power isn’t always available due to factors like major storms, limited outlet access, and vessel incompatibility. Our solution addresses these challenges.”
