LOS ANGELES, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- STAX Engineering, a California-based pioneer in maritime emissions capture and control, and Seabound, a UK-based leader in onboard carbon capture, successfully demonstrated a first-of-its-kind fully integrated emissions and carbon capture solution during an event held Wednesday at the Port of Long Beach. This collaboration delivers an end-to-end solution that addresses both criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases, which will provide maritime operators with an immediate, practical path to meet tightening environmental regulations and decarbonization requirements.
During a Carbon Capture Showcase in the Port of Long Beach, the two companies showcased their combined emissions-reduction technologies in action. Connected together atop a STAX barge, the combined system serviced an at-berth roll-on roll-off (RoRo) vessel from Wallenius Wilhelmsen (WWL), filtering out harmful pollutants including particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) and capturing carbon dioxide directly from the vessel’s exhaust. Event attendees included industry leaders and port stakeholders from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), California Air Resources Board (CARB), and the Port of Long Beach. Today's successful demonstration marked a monumental milestone in the efforts to reduce emissions from ships.
With shipping powering 90% of global trade, it’s a major contributor of greenhouse gases—accounting for 3% (or over a billion tons) of carbon annually. The CARB has set ambitious emissions regulations for ships to improve air quality in port communities, while the International Maritime Organization is pushing for a 20% carbon emissions cut by 2030.
With few viable solutions available for emissions reductions in ports, STAX and Seabound are providing the first comprehensive, cost-effective emissions solution for the maritime industry, without requiring vessels or ports to undergo retrofits and costly structural changes.
“Today marks a landmark moment in our journey toward a zero-emissions future, and it’s just the beginning,” said STAX CEO Mike Walker. “As we expand our carbon capture capabilities across the fleet, our inaugural partnership with Seabound has been instrumental. The growing demand from our customers reinforces our commitment to leading the maritime sector toward a more sustainable future.”
The combined system integrates STAX’s mobile emissions control unit—which removes 99% of PM and 95% of NOx—with Seabound’s compact, cost-effective carbon capture technology. Connecting directly to a vessel's exhaust pipe, STAX technology first removes criteria pollutants, turning the exhaust into purified gas. The gas is then directed through Seabound’s capture unit, isolating and storing up to 95% of carbon and 90% of sulfur before releasing the cleaned exhaust.
“Our partnership demonstrates that effective, scalable emissions solutions are a reality that we can implement now,” said Alisha Fredriksson, co-founder and CEO of Seabound. “Our collaboration with STAX proves that by leveraging innovative onboard carbon capture, we can make a tangible difference on a global scale and provide the maritime industry with the tools vital for a sustainable future."
The Carbon Capture Showcase marked the culmination of months spent trialing the system where Fredriksson, Walker, and STAX Founder and CTO Bob Sharp presented the integrated system during a live demonstration. Funded by CARB and South Coast AQMD as part of their Advanced Technology Demonstration and Pilot Projects, the trials began March 2025 and had three iterations. Each trial serviced an existing STAX customer, including WWL and NYK. All results were independently verified by Yorke Engineering, an environmental consultancy.
"Continuing to trial new technologies and applications—with innovative partners such as STAX and Seabound—is important as we move forward on our decarbonization journey,” said Mike Derby, SVP port, terminal & stevedoring operations, America for WWL. “Also, being able to assess potential new solutions up close, and utilized on one of our vessels, is particularly beneficial.”
STAX and Seabound are exploring scaling their combined solution internationally, including through a collaboration with Associated British Ports to capture at-berth emissions for the Port of Southampton, a busy UK port.
Since its launch in early 2024, STAX has established itself as the only emissions solution servicing all major vessel classes in California. To date, STAX has provided a critical pathway to CARB compliance in five major ports, captured more than 126 tons of pollutants, and will deploy its eighth barge this month. STAX recently announced $70 million in funding to fuel fleetwide carbon capture integration and international expansion this year.
Founded in late 2021, Seabound has established itself as a leading onboard carbon capture technology developer with its simple, modular, and cost-effective technology. Seabound recently completed a world- first demonstration of their onboard carbon capture system together with Lomar Shipping and Hapag Lloyd, successfully capturing CO2 at ~80% efficiency onboard a 3200 TEU container vessel. Seabound will be launching its first full-scale commercial carbon capture systems this year.
Additional media linked here.
About STAX Engineering:
STAX's patented, flexible exhaust capture system is designed to fit all ships without modification, even in the most congested ports. Once the exhaust is captured and funneled into the STAX system, it is filtered. STAX removes 99% of particulate matter (PM) and 95% of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) before being released as purified gas. To date, STAX has treated 663 at-berth vessels for a cumulative of 16,500 hours and 126 tons of pollutants—and counting. In 2024, STAX was named a winner of Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech, recognizing its innovative contributions to emissions reduction and cleaner air solutions. Learn more at staxengineering.com.
About Seabound:
Seabound is an award-winning climate tech startup developing modular carbon capture systems for ships. Founded in late 2021, Seabound recently completed a world-first pilot with Lomar Shipping and Hapag-Lloyd, capturing CO2 at ~80% efficiency onboard a 3200 TEU container ship. To date, Seabound has raised $6.8M from world-class investors including Lowercarbon Capital, Y Combinator, Eastern Pacific Shipping, and Collaborative Fund, and received £1.2M in grant funding from the UK Government through the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition. Seabound is currently building its first full-scale commercial systems for launch in H2 2025. Learn more at seabound.co.
Media Contacts:
LaunchSquad for STAX
stax@launchsquad.com
Tanna Krispil for Seabound
press@seabound.co
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/149b7d41-5315-435d-a0d6-6e6d46eac33f
