Seabound nets £1.1M to capture carbon at sea

London-based climate startup Seabound has secured a £1.1 million grant from the UK Government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 6 (CMDC6) to deploy its carbon capture technology at the Port of Southampton. The project will create the world’s first commercial-scale system that combines CO₂ and air-pollutant capture for ships at berth—without requiring retrofits.

Seabound’s technology packs into standard shipping containers and can be craned onto barges, where it connects to ship exhausts. In partnership with STAX Engineering, whose barge-mounted system already strips out particulates and nitrogen oxides, Seabound’s units capture up to 95% of CO₂ and 98% of sulphur oxides. The pilot will test container swap logistics and barge deployment to cover multiple berths across the port.

The venture builds on proven results: in CMDC3, Seabound achieved 78% CO₂ and over 90% SO₂ capture aboard MV Sounion Trader. It has also demonstrated at the Port of Long Beach in California. Investors backing Seabound’s $6.8 million in venture funding include Lowercarbon Capital, Y Combinator, Eastern Pacific Shipping, and Collaborative Fund, alongside £2.3 million in cumulative UK grant support.

Partners in the Southampton pilot include Associated British Ports, lomarlabs, and STAX Engineering. For ABP, the project aligns with its net-zero by 2040 pledge, while advancing the UK’s broader maritime decarbonisation agenda.

Beyond emissions cuts, the system could generate new jobs in operations, logistics, and carbon-capture servicing. If successful, ABP intends to scale the model to other ports. For an industry facing mounting regulatory and reputational pressure to curb emissions, Seabound offers a practical, ready-now solution.

The bottom line: carbon capture is coming to Britain’s docks, and Seabound wants to lead the way.