Anacostia Rail Holdings’ Pacific Harbor Line (PHL) has entered a development agreement with Michigan-based climate technology company Remora to advance mobile carbon capture solutions for freight rail.
PHL, which serves the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, is also an investor in the company. Anacostia Rail Holdings CEO Peter A. Gilbertson serves as an advisor to Remora.
The partnership builds on PHL’s ongoing efforts to reduce emissions across its locomotive fleet. Over the past decade and a half, the railroad has shifted from Tier 2 to Tier 3+ locomotives, transitioned to renewable diesel, cutting CO2 emissions by roughly 70%, and tested a battery-electric locomotive from Progress Rail.
PHL also currently operates a Tier 4 unit and plans to upgrade its remaining Tier 3+ locomotives using after-treatment systems.
Remora’s mobile capture technology offers another route for decarbonising rail operations. According to Gilbertson, the system not only reduces CO2 emissions but can also help elevate connected locomotives to Tier 4 performance standards while producing a stream of CO2 suitable for commercial use.
The US continues to face periodic carbon dioxide supply shortages, even as freight transport emits an estimated 375 million tonnes annually.
Remora’s system captures CO2 directly from trains or trucks, liquefies it, and sells it to end-use industries including food production, agriculture, and manufacturing. Revenue is shared with transportation partners, creating an additional commercial incentive.
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PHL President Otis L. Cliatt II said the agreement gives the railroad an opportunity to shape a technology that could support emissions reductions across the wider rail sector.
Remora, founded five years ago, has raised $117 million in venture funding. The company’s early truck-focused pilots informed the development of a locomotive-scale system designed to increase efficiency, eliminate backpressure, and capture up to one tonne of CO2 per hour.
“We’re building this technology not only to meet environmental goals, but to make it financially compelling for railroads,” said Paul Gross, co-founder and CEO of Remora. “Pacific Harbor Line’s support and Anacostia’s leadership will be instrumental as we bring carbon capture to freight rail.”
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