Ningbo-Zhoushan Port Achieves a "Three-Stage Leap" in Green Methanol Refueling!

(Ningbo Transportation Port and Shipping Management Center (Google Translation)) On August 23, at the Meidong Terminal of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, a "sea refueling station" named "Zhongran Green Energy 85" accomplished a major task: refueling the ocean container giant "COSCO Shipping Libra" with 5,493 tons of green methanol .

Including the 973 tons of ordinary methanol that was added to the "COSCO Shipping Lily" vessel three days ago (August 20), this newly built professional methanol bunkering vessel in Ningbo has been "certified and put into operation" for less than a month. It has taken on two big jobs in a row by adopting the simultaneous operation mode of loading, unloading and refueling.

This is no ordinary refueling. Green methanol is a cleaner marine fuel that can help large ships operating on international routes reduce carbon emissions.

This also means that the green methanol refueling at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has officially entered a new stage of normalized and professional operation, moving from a demonstration pilot project.

The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has only been adding methanol to ocean-going vessels for a little over a year, but it has made rapid and steady progress.

The first descent took place on September 29, 2025. Seven specialized methanol tanker trucks and a complete set of explosion-proof refueling skid-mounted equipment were used to drive one by one to the dock and refuel the 20,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel container ship "COSCO Shipping Libra" with 230 tons of green methanol. That was equivalent to "testing the waters" and taking the first step.

The second instance occurred on April 22, 2026, with Zhejiang Province's first ship-to-ship green methanol bunkering taking place at Meishan Port. This time, the modified vessel "Daqing 268" was used to bunker 503 tons of methanol onto the same vessel, "COSCO Shipping Libra." Efficiency was significantly improved; the actual bunkering took only about one hour, nearly six hours faster than the tanker truck method.

The third leap was this time. After the newly built specialized bunkering vessel "Zhongran Green Energy 85" was put into operation, it completed two large-scale operations of 973 tons of ordinary methanol and 5,493 tons of green methanol. From then on, methanol bunkering at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port no longer relied on "borrowing ships" or "sharing trucks," but had its own "regular army."

The "Zhongran Green Energy 85" vessel is quite expensive, with a total investment of over 100 million yuan. It is 119.88 meters long, and its cargo holds are made of corrosion-resistant duplex stainless steel. It is classed by the China Classification Society and can transport hazardous chemicals along the coast and refuel the ship with methanol around the clock.

What's even more special is that it was built with funds from Ningbo-based shipping company Hengxing Shipping Group, and leased and operated by Ningbo Zhongran Marine Fuel Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the state-owned enterprise China Marine Fuel Group. The private enterprise provides the assets, and the state-owned enterprise handles the operation, allowing both sides to leverage their respective strengths.

On July 31, the ship completed all the filing procedures and officially started operation, making up for the lack of professional methanol bunkering capacity at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port.

Some might ask: Just a few days ago, Shanghai Port completed the bunkering of 8,000 tons of green methanol at the Lvhuashan anchorage, setting a new global record for the largest single bunkering operation. Does Ningbo's 5,493 tons seem a bit lacking?

The two events actually took place in different settings, each with its own challenges. In Shanghai, the ship was anchored in open water, allowing for relatively relaxed maneuvering. In Ningbo, the operation was completed while the ship was berthed at a dock. With ships coming and going at the dock, it was necessary to coordinate dock operations, manage ship berthing and departure, and oversee shore facilities and safety precautions, making the environment far more complex.

In other words, the record-breaking anchorage demonstrates "how much can be added in a single operation"; the routine refueling at the dock demonstrates "whether this can be done every day in the future." The ability to safely refuel 5,493 tons at the dock indicates that this can become a "routine operation" in the future—ships docking at the dock and adding methanol along the way is the most common scenario in the future.

Only when both are combined can domestic ports truly possess the complete capacity to handle large-scale green methanol refueling needs.

With this breakthrough in green methanol bunkering, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port's "green menu" is now complete. Currently, the port can provide three types of clean marine fuels: biofuel oil, green methanol, and LNG, establishing a diversified clean marine fuel supply system.

The data also speaks volumes: In 2025, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port's total green fuel bunkering volume reached 174,000 tons, ranking third in the country. Among them, biofuel oil bunkering volume was 60,000 tons, ranking first in China; LNG bunkering volume was 111,300 tons (253,000 cubic meters), ranking third in China. With the green methanol bunkering business addressing its shortcomings, the port's ability to serve the carbon reduction needs of international shipping vessels has been further enhanced.

Next, Ningbo's transportation and port authorities will continue to promote this full-chain service model, linking ports, wharves, and shipping companies to expand the application scenarios of green fuel. In the future, more and more "green ships" running international routes will likely choose to berth and refuel with green methanol at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. Perhaps one day, the giant ocean-going vessels you see on the high seas will be burning "green fuel" refueled in Ningbo. READ MORE