This week, the Taiwan-based shipping firm Wan Hai announced an agreement with the Advanced Environmental Group to build a barge outfiltted with the Advanced Maritime Emission Control System (AMECS), an innovative and highly effective pollution scrubbing system. Wan Hai will use the AMECS system to clean the emissions of their ships when they call at the Port of Long Beach, protecting the health of port workers and the community.

“We believe that environmental sustainability and economic prosperity are two sides of the same coin and we are always looking for new approaches to reach our zero emissions goal. We applaud Wan Hai for their commitment to green operations.” Port of Long Beach CEO Jon Slangerup

The AMECS is very efficient and can be quickly and easily deployed. It removes 96 percent of particulate matter, 98 percent of NOx, and 99 percent of SO2.  It has been certified by the California Air Resources Board as a replacement for shore-power in California’s At-Berth emission reduction program, and can be used by any ship.

Ruben Garcia in front of the AMECS.  Image: AEG

The AMECS was developed at the Port of Long Beach by the brilliant entrepreneur Ruben Garcia, and is a fascinating American success story.  The Port of Long Beach and Mr. Garcia worked together closely to test the system. Read more about Mr. Garcia in the article linked below.

AMECS was used in 2015 to clean the emissions from the largest container ship to ever visit North America, an Ultra Large Container Vessel capable of carrying 18,000 ocean containers.

Wan Hai is a 30-year-old shipping company that calls on over 40 international ports using a fleet of almost 100 ships. For more information read:

This green entrepreneur was once an undocumented farmworker, Grist

Wan Hai and AEG signed cooperation agreement aim to reduce emission pollution at Port of Long Beach, Bunker Port News