Maritime emissions capture and control company Stax Engineering has concluded an exclusive service agreement with Amports, a major player in the North American vehicle import processing industry.
This agreement will bring Stax’s services to all auto carriers at berth at the Port of Benicia, marking the fourth such agreement signed by Stax in eight weeks. The Port of Benicia is a critical point of entry for vessels from Asia, Europe and Mexico and exporting vessels bound for Asia. At the Port, Amports handles roughly 260,000 imported vehicles annually, about 20% of the vehicles imported by sea into California.
Vee Kachroo, CEO Amports said: “Addressing at-berth exhaust emissions is an opportunity for many vessel owners and operators, as well as the greater Benicia port community, to be environmentally responsible. We are excited to announce this partnership with Stax and offer accessible, no maintenance emissions capture and control services so that all stakeholders can bring their environmental goals within reach.”
Stax, a grantee of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), says it is the only provider authorised to service both container vessels and auto carriers in California; service for auto carriers began in early April 2024 and is available everywhere Stax has a presence. NYK Line recently announced its partnership with Stax to service its auto carrier vessels at the Port of Benicia and other ports around the state. Stax currently provides service at the Ports of Benicia, Long Beach, Los Angeles and Oakland.
Stax offers land- and barge-based, mobile emissions capture and control technology to shipping terminal and fleet operators for a nominal hourly fee. Stax’s patented, flexible exhaust capture system is designed to fit all ships without modification, even in congested ports. The exhaust is filtered once it is captured and funnelled into the Stax system. Stax removes 99% of particulate matter and 95% of NOx before being released as purified gas. To date, Stax has treated 62 at-berth vessels for a cumulative of 3,200hr and 23t of pollutants controlled.
Mike Walker, CEO Stax said: “We’ve seen so much success in such a short time because our partners recognise that Stax technology makes maintaining compliance and improving local air quality accessible and straightforward. Every port and port community in the world stands to benefit from affordable, accessible emissions capture and control services. While our sights are set on California in the near term, we hope to expand our presence across North America and abroad as quickly as possible.”
Image: Stax system alongside a vessel (source: Stax Engineering)
