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. The partnership “aligns with PHL’s long-standing commitment to innovation, environmental stewardship and practical pathways toward decarbonization of freight rail operations.”
PHL, which provides rail transportation, maintenance and dispatching services to the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, is an investor in Remora. Anacostia President and CEO Peter A. Gilbertson, serves as an advisor.
“We’re building this technology not only to meet environmental goals, but to make it financially compelling for railroads,” said Remora Co-founder and CEO Paul Gross. “Pacific Harbor Line’s support and Anacostia’s leadership will be instrumental as we bring carbon capture to freight rail.”
“We are proud of our progress toward zero emission operations, which started when we acquired Tier 2 (lower emission) locomotives some 16 years ago,” said PHL President Otis L. Cliatt II. “That initial success was followed by an evolution to Tier 3+ locomotives and then a conversion to renewable diesel fuel which cut CO₂ emissions by some 70%. PHL also operated a zero emission (ZE) EMD® Joule battery-electric locomotive from Progress Rail in test service, and we currently operate a Tier 4 locomotive. We plan to upgrade our entire fleet of Tier 3+ locomotives to Tier 4 using proven after-treatment technologies. 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. We’re proud to support innovations that have the potential to benefit the entire rail industry.”
“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.”
Founded five years ago, Remora designs and manufactures carbon capture technology for rail and trucking. Its technology transforms exhaust into beverage-grade carbon dioxide sold to breweries and greenhouses, generating revenue while reducing emissions. Founded in 2020, Remora has raised $117 million in venture capital and has partnered with major carriers including DHL, Ryder, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. The company said its 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.”
