Global · Case study

Port of Los Angeles, Barge-Based At-Berth Emissions Capture and Control

Port of Los Angeles, California, United States2024 to 2026

California's Ocean-Going Vessels At Berth Regulation requires each vessel visit to a regulated port or terminal to use a CARB Approved Emission Control Strategy for the whole visit, unless an exception applies (California Air Resources Board, 2025). Shore power is the main strategy, but not every vessel or berth can use it. The Port of Los Angeles states that CARB has certified barge-based capture and control systems that treat exhaust from vessels at berth as an alternative (Port of Los Angeles, 2025). The regulation took effect for tankers at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on January 1, 2025 (STAX Engineering, 2025b).

Approach

Appoint an on-call provider. In June 2025, STAX Engineering was named the first official provider of at-berth emissions control services at the Port of Los Angeles. It serves as the on-call compliance option for auto carriers and container ships at berth for up to three years (STAX Engineering, 2025a).

Use mobile barges, not vessel retrofits. The system is mounted on barges that come alongside the berthed ship and treat its exhaust. It is presented as a complement to shore power that needs no vessel modifications (STAX Engineering, 2025a).

Extend to tankers. Tanker terminals have limited shore power options. In 2024, Shell agreed a five-year deal for capture and control at its Mormon Island Terminal in the Port, with service starting in 2025 (STAX Engineering, 2024). On 29 July 2025, CARB issued Executive Order G-25-200 allowing the system to serve tanker auxiliary engines; STAX announced it in August 2025 and reported four barges approved (STAX Engineering, 2025b). CARB superseded that order on 19 March 2026 with G-25-200-001, so current approval scope should be taken from CARB (California Air Resources Board, 2026).

Results

The system controls air pollutants; it does not capture carbon dioxide. The provider reports removing up to 99% of particulate matter and 95% of nitrogen oxides from ship exhaust (STAX Engineering, 2025a). By August 2025 it reported treating 1,192 vessels for a cumulative 25,000 hours and capturing 190 tons of pollutants across the California ports it serves, not only Los Angeles (STAX Engineering, 2025b). These California-wide figures, dated August 2025, are reported by the provider and are not independent verification by the Port or CARB.

Transferability

DMC ports planning shore power may still have berths or vessel types, such as tankers, that cannot connect. A regulator-approved, barge-based capture and control service can cover those calls without changes to ships, and can be procured through an on-call provider contract instead of building fixed plant at each berth. These systems reduce air pollutants, not carbon dioxide. Ports also need a clear approval process and independent checks of provider-reported performance.

Sources

All information used for this case study was based on publicly available resources.