CHINA Marine Bunker (PetroChina) Co, also known as Chimbusco, is planning to build the country’s first methanol dual-fuel bunkering barge, to meet the demand of increasing orders for vessels powered by alternative fuels.

The current methanol bunker barges are typically retrofitted from chemical tankers. In contrast, the one planned by Chimbusco will mark the first construction of a newbuilding methanol dual-fuel barge, Tian Ming, a senior manager of Chimbusco, told Lloyd’s List during this year’s China International Import Expo in Shanghai.

The 7,800 tonnes new bunkering barge was granted with AiP from China Classification Society and Bureau Veritas last September, he said.

Chimbusco is in discussions with a shipyard regarding the design, with the outcome expected to be achieved next year, Tian said. However, he declined to disclose the name of the shipyard involved.

Speaking in Shanghai, he noted the recent increase in global methanol bunkering capacity. He highlighted that methanol bunkering in important ports such as Shanghai, Ulsan, Singapore and Rotterdam has exceeded 10,000 tonnes this year.

“In the future, more and more ports will deploy methanol bunkering vessels.”

He also advocated for the government to provide further support to green marine fuel suppliers in terms of storage and bunkering, including retrofitting chemical tankers to facilitate methanol refuelling at ports.

As part of a joint venture with Cosco and China National Petroleum Corp, Chimbusco has signed strategic agreements with many fuel suppliers, securing approximately 250,000 to 300,000 tonnes of green methanol supply.

This includes a partnership with China General Nuclear Power Corp, involving a project launched this year in Inner Mongolia’s Chifeng city. The project aims to produce green methanol from hydrogen and bio-derived CO2, with an anticipated output of 200,000 tonnes per year.

“We will expand our collaborations with major power companies to secure more methanol supply,” said Tian.

The Chinese shipping giant Cosco has been active in the transition to green methanol with multiple joint projects.

It has ordered 36 methanol dual-fuel or methanol-ready newbuildings, primarily boxships, with deliveries anticipated between 2026 and 2028, Tian said.

In addition to the project in Chifeng, Cosco, State Power Investment Corp and Shanghai International Port Group have established a joint venture, Shanghai Jiyuan Green Energy, earlier this year, which is poised to launch a bio-methanol project in Jilin province, northeastern China.

Cosco Shipping Lines also vows to initiate the deployment of green methanol-powered vessels along “green corridors”, connecting Shanghai and the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Hamburg from next year, with a target to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2030.

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