World's largest green methanol bunkering operation completed in Shanghai

A drone photo shows green methanol refueling for the ship CM HONG KONG at Tianjin Port in Tianjin, north China, Sept. 22, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

SHANGHAI, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's Shanghai Electric Group successfully bunkered 8,000 tonnes of green methanol into a container ship at Yangshan port in Shanghai on Monday, setting a global record for the largest single green methanol bunkering operation.

The container ship was owned by CMA CGM Group, a French giant in global shipping and logistics.

Zhu Zhaokai, president of Shanghai Electric Group, said the successful bunkering operation marked the establishment in China of an integrated industrial chain covering large-scale green methanol production, onshore and offshore storage and transport, port bunkering and end-use on vessels.

This industry model offers a replicable and scalable Chinese solution for the green, low-carbon transformation of international shipping, he added.

According to statistics from Shanghai Customs, since completing China's first green methanol bunkering operation in April 2024, the port of Shanghai has cumulatively bunkered 36,000 tonnes of green methanol for vessels as of now.

Produced with biomass resources and renewable energy rather than fossil fuel, green methanol is one of the key alternative fuels for reducing carbon emissions in shipping, chemical and other industries.

As the global shipping industry transitions to clean energy, green methanol is expected to have broad application prospects and significant market potential.

China is further vitalizing its green energy industries to drive high-quality development while reducing carbon emissions. The country's newly issued 15th Five-Year Plan for Building a Beautiful China mapped out a green industrial leap over the next five years, pushing traditional industries to retrofit while accelerating green sectors.

The country's green and low-carbon industries now command a market of roughly 11 trillion yuan (about 1.62 trillion U.S. dollars), shared by more than 2 million enterprises.