To meet California’s upcoming ship-at-berth emissions regulations, tankers docked at Shell’s Mormon Island Terminal in the Port of Los Angeles will use a mobile barge-based emissions capture and filtration system. STAX Engineering has signed a unique agreement with Equillon Enterprises, which does business as Shell Oil Products US.
Starting in January 2025, the California Air Resources Board (CARB)’s new emissions rules will take effect. They expand the requirement for vessels at berth to either use shore power or capture their emissions to reduce air pollution in and around the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The rules also apply to tankers, car carriers and other commercial vessels and will be expanded to all California ports by 2027. CARB is also introducing regulations to reduce emissions from port vessels.
Launched in January 2024, STAX Engineering is based on a filter system installed on port barges as well as land-based, mobile solutions. The system places a cap over the smokestack, allowing ships to continue using their generators while docked without costly modifications. STAX reports that its system removes 99 percent of particulate matter (PM) and 95 percent of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from the exhaust gases fed into its system before the exhaust is released as a purified gas.
Emission filters are mobile on the ship and work by covering the chimney (STAX).
The company has signed a five-year contract to provide its services at the Mormon Island Terminal, a satellite of Shell’s Carson Terminal. The facility covers more than 400 acres and acts as a distribution facility, receiving and distributing fuels via pipeline and truck delivery throughout Southern California. Dating back to 1924 and one of the oldest in Southern California, the Carson Terminal also serves as the largest ethanol transfer point on the West Coast.
DNV prepared a report for the Western States Petroleum Association in 2022 Highlighting the challenges for tankers and terminals to meet upcoming CARB regulations. They cited the cost of retrofitting vessels or terminals. They cited design challenges with tankers’ electrical systems that would make retrofitting for shore power problematic. The report warns that “the chances are slim that good options will be in place when the new regulations take effect in 2027.”
STAX is the first company to service tankers in California. The company expects the terminal to operate approximately 1,600 hours per year under the new agreement and expects to treat more than 150 tons of emissions over the term of the agreement.
The company reports that since its establishment it has already supervised 98 vessels at berth for a total of 4,800 hours, during which 37 tons of pollutants were checked. STAX offers its services for container ships and car carriers and works with major shipping companies such as NYK Line and Hyundai Glovis.
California will enact the strictest and most comprehensive emissions regulations for berths. The state first introduced the regulations in 2007 and studies have shown they successfully reduce air pollution in and around ports.
The company has exclusive service agreements with major California ports, including Los Angeles, Long Beach, Hueneme, Benicia, Richmond and Oakland. STAX is also exploring expanding its offerings to other ports in North America and beyond.
