Pacific Harbor Line, Remora partner to develop carbon capture technology

Anacostia Rail Holdings subsidiary Pacific Harbor Line (PHL) has entered into a development agreement with Remora, a Michigan-based climate technology startup that is pioneering mobile carbon capture for freight rail and trucking.

PHL — which provides rail transportation, maintenance and dispatching services to the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles — is also an investor in Remora; Anacostia President and CEO Peter Gilbertson serves as an adviser. The partnership aligns with PHL’s commitment to innovation, environmental stewardship and practical pathways toward decarbonization of freight-rail operations, Anacostia officials said in a press release.

“For PHL and Anacostia, carbon capture adds yet another option in our efforts to slash emissions,” said Gilbertson. “In addition to reducing CO2 emissions, Remora’s technology elevates connected locomotives to EPA Tier 4 standards and also enables the reuse of carbon in other commercial applications.”

The U.S. is facing a CO2 shortage, even as trains and trucks emit roughly 375 million tons of it every year. Remora’s solution captures that CO2, converts it to liquid and sells it to industries such as farming, food production and manufacturing, sharing the revenue with its transportation partners, Anacostia officials said.

“This partnership with Remora gives PHL an opportunity to help shape a technology that could significantly reduce freight rail emissions while creating new economic value for operators,” said PHL President Otis Cliatt II.

Founded five years ago, Remora has raised $117 million in venture capital from investors. The company’s early truck-based pilots informed a redesigned system that eliminates backpressure, increases efficiency and captures up to one ton of CO2 per hour at locomotive scale.