World’s Largest Single Green Methanol Bunkering Operation Completed At Shanghai Port

Shanghai Port has completed the world’s largest single green methanol bunkering operation, supplying 8,016 tonnes of domestically produced green methanol to a dual-fuel container ship owned by French shipping and logistics company CMA CGM.

The fuel was delivered by the bunkering vessel Haigang Zhiyuan to the CMA CGM Osium at Yangshan Port in Shanghai over the weekend, Shanghai Customs said on Monday.

The operation set a global record for the largest amount of green methanol supplied in a single bunkering operation.

Shanghai Electric Group President Zhu Zhaokai said the operation also marked the development of an integrated green methanol supply chain in China. It covers large-scale production, onshore and offshore storage, transportation, port bunkering and the use of the fuel on ships.

Zhu said the model could provide a solution that can be expanded and repeated for the green and low-carbon transformation of international shipping.

Shanghai has supplied a total of 36,000 tonnes of green methanol to vessels since China’s first green methanol bunkering operation in April 2024, according to Shanghai Customs. The port now ranks first among major global ports in cumulative green methanol bunkering, it said.

To support growing demand, Shanghai Customs has introduced 10 measures to make operations easier for international-voyage vessels. It has also created a digital system to monitor the green-fuel bunkering process from start to finish.

Officials said the system helps reduce vessel turnaround times and lower logistics costs.

Green methanol is produced using biomass resources and renewable energy instead of fossil fuels. It is considered one of the alternative fuels that can help reduce carbon emissions in shipping, chemicals and other industries.

The use of green methanol is expected to grow as the global shipping industry moves towards cleaner energy sources.

China’s newly issued 15th Five-Year Plan for Building a Beautiful China calls for traditional industries to be upgraded with greener technologies while supporting the growth of green sectors.

China’s green and low-carbon industries have a market worth about 11 trillion yuan ($1.62 trillion) and include more than 2 million enterprises, according to the source material.

References: Global Times, Argus Media