Seabound\u2019s technology <\/strong><\/p>\nFounded in 2021, Seabound was founded by Alisha Fredriksson and Roujia Wen who met while studying at Minerva University. <\/p>\n
Seabound\u2019s onboard carbon capture system is based on calcium looping, a second-generation emissions capture process adapted for maritime conditions. <\/p>\n
Ms Fredriksson explains that the company began with a technology-neutral approach, assessing land-based solutions before selecting one suitable for shipping\u2019s operational constraints. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we started Seabound, we had a hypothesis that carbon capture on board vessels could be a new category to decarbonise the sector,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe looked at all the different technologies being used on land or developed in labs and tried to figure out which would be most suitable for maritime-specific constraints. We ended up picking calcium looping because it could be the most cost-effective, most scalable and most suitable for shipping.\u201d <\/p>\n
The system uses calcium hydroxide, commonly known as lime, housed within containerised capture units roughly the size of a standard 20-foot shipping container. Exhaust gases from a vessel\u2019s engine are routed through the container, where carbon dioxide reacts with the lime to create limestone. <\/p>\n
\u201cEssentially, we connect pipes from the ship\u2019s engine to the Seabound Containers and the CO\u2082 in the exhaust gas is soaked up by the lime,\u201d Ms Fredriksson explains. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey transform into limestone, which is also known as calcium carbonate. Effectively, we\u2019re making limestone on ships and trapping the CO\u2082 into the limestone.\u201d <\/p>\n
From vessel to quayside <\/strong><\/p>\nA defining feature of Seabound\u2019s approach is what it does not do onboard. Unlike some carbon capture concepts, the system does not attempt to separate, purify or compress CO\u2082 at sea. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe only thing we do on board is trap the CO\u2082 into limestone,\u201d Ms Fredriksson says. <\/p>\n
\u201cSome other approaches aim to re-separate the CO\u2082 from the binding material and compress it on board, which is technically possible but very energy intensive.\u201d <\/p>\n
When vessels return to port, the filled containers are lifted off, emptied and refilled with fresh lime. <\/p>\n
The captured limestone can be sold or used as a construction material onsite, particularly where ports are undertaking land expansion or reclamation projects. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the simplest approach and the most scalable,\u201d Ms Fredriksson says. \u201cIt gives us the most logistical flexibility and where possible the hope is to use the material locally to reduce transport costs.\u201d <\/p>\n
A second option involves recycling the limestone to regenerate lime and release a pure CO\u2082 stream for utilisation or sequestration. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat closed-loop process is what we eventually want to get to in some of the bigger ports around the world,\u201d she explains. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt allows us to reuse the same material, reduce costs overall and have a reliable supply of green lime for our shipping partners.\u201d <\/p>\n
Demonstrating capture at port <\/strong><\/p>\nSeabound\u2019s port-based work began with a pilot project in early 2025 at the Port of Long Beach in California, delivered in partnership with Stax Engineering. <\/p>\n
The project integrated one of Seabound\u2019s prototype capture devices onto a barge treating exhaust from vessels at berth. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat was a pilot project to demonstrate the integration of our technologies and to show what\u2019s possible with port-based capture,\u201d Ms Fredriksson says. \u201cAs far as we understand, it was the world\u2019s first CO\u2082 capture at port.\u201d <\/p>\n
The project demonstrated that carbon capture could support compliance with port-based emissions regulations and potentially offer an alternative to shore power in certain contexts. <\/p>\n
Moving towards deployment <\/strong><\/p>\nBuilding on this milestone, Seabound secured funding through Innovate UK\u2019s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition to advance a UK-based project focused on the Port of Southampton. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe aim was to go beyond piloting the technology and to start developing a full-scale, continuous operation. This funding round is specifically for pre-deployment trials.\u201d <\/p>\n
Seabound\u2019s work at Southampton includes refining system design, improving lime efficiency and strengthening integration. Subsequently, the company has now constructed its first full-scale capture units. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe have built, for the first time, the first full-scale Seabound Containers,\u201d she says. \u201cWe\u2019re currently testing them on land using a large diesel generator to simulate a marine engine.\u201d <\/p>\n
While technical progress is advancing, Ms Fredriksson is clear that large-scale deployment will depend on regulation and customer appetite. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere is unfortunately quite limited incentive for ports to reduce emissions at berth, at least in Europe until 2030,\u201d she says. \u201cFrom my perspective, this feels like a wasted low-hanging-fruit opportunity.\u201d <\/p>\n
Earlier adoption is therefore likely to be driven by ports willing to act ahead of regulation. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf we see really large-scale deployments before 2030, it will be because there is a first-mover customer that is keen to be reducing their emissions,\u201d Ms Fredriksson explains. <\/p>\n
Why ports matter <\/strong><\/p>\nMs Fredriksson says that for ports and terminals, carbon capture should be considered as part of a wider portfolio of decarbonisation solutions. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think the advice would be to consider carbon capture as part of the portfolio of potential solutions for reducing emissions of vessels at berth, but also for facilitating emissions reductions for vessels at sea,\u201d Ms Fredriksson says. <\/p>\n
\u201cEmissions at sea are still the bigger component, so facilitating those reductions can be the most impactful thing ports can do.\u201d <\/p>\n
She highlights that Seabound\u2019s modular system can be deployed both at port and onboard vessels, allowing ports to build experience that directly supports ship-based deployment. <\/p>\n
Another advantage for ports lies in the relatively low capital investment required to trial carbon capture compared with fixed infrastructure projects. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe CapEx investment for a port is orders of magnitude different. That makes it much more accessible to trial new technologies,\u201d Ms Fredriksson says. <\/p>\n
This means that ports can start small, which could be much more financially viable. <\/p>\n
\u201cPorts don\u2019t have to make a big decision off the bat,\u201d she says. \u201cThey can trial carbon capture with just one or two modules, get comfortable with the technology and then decide whether it makes sense to expand.\u201d <\/p>\n
Looking ahead, Ms Fredriksson believes the remaining challenges are commercial and regulatory rather than technical. <\/p>\n
\u201cPorts and port operators can play a really interesting facilitative role in the transition,\u201d she concludes. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut it requires being a little bit creative and a little bit courageous about trying new things and seeing what the response is.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For ports and terminals grappling with maritime decarbonisation, carbon capture is\u00a0emerging\u00a0as a practical near-term solution, says Alisha Fredriksson, CEO and co-founder of Seabound.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":6003,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,1376,22],"tags":[347,361,2237],"sponsor":[],"class_list":["post-6002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-energy-technology-greenport","category-greenport-exclusive","category-products-services-greenport","tag-carbon-capture","tag-port-emissions","tag-seabound"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6002","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6002"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6002\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6004,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6002\/revisions\/6004"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6003"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6002"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6002"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6002"},{"taxonomy":"sponsor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portstrategy.com\/greenport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sponsor?post=6002"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}