China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone on Tuesday (30 June) said it has completed the province’s first ship-to-ship (STS) methanol bunkering operation at a shipyard, marking a new milestone in Zhoushan’s efforts to expand its portfolio of alternative marine fuel bunkering services.

The operation took place recently at Qingshan West Berth No. 2 of Tsuneishi Group (Zhoushan) Shipbuilding, where Zhejiang Free Trade Zone PetroChina Fuel Oil’s bunker tanker JIA CHEN 17 supplied 795 metric tonnes (mt) of methanol to the newly built 5,900 TEU methanol dual-fuel container vessel MAERSK FLINDERS.

The bunkering operation was completed in approximately 5.5 hours, making it significantly more efficient than truck-to-ship methanol bunkering, which authorities said would have taken around nine times longer to deliver the same volume

According to local authorities, the operation is the first of its kind at a shipyard berth in Zhejiang Province, filling a gap in on-site bunkering capabilities for shipbuilding and repair yards. Zhoushan has previously conducted truck-to-ship methanol bunkering, truck- and ship-to-ship LNG bunkering, and blended biofuel bunkering operations.

The demonstration project forms part of Zhejiang’s strategy to develop green marine fuel bunkering under the China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone Bulk Commodity Resource Allocation Hub Development Plan, which calls for pilot bunkering of alternative fuels including green methanol, liquid hydrogen and ammonia.

Earlier this year, the China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone‘s Zhoushan Administrative Committee identified three priority projects: the world’s first anchorage ammonia bunkering operation, Zhejiang’s first shipyard-based STS methanol bunkering operation, and simultaneous LNG bunkering alongside cargo operations at Yongzhou Terminal, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port.

Authorities said the shipyard-based STS model offers operational advantages over both ship-to-ship and anchorage STS bunkering. In addition to reducing inter-island transport and lowering overall costs, conducting the operation alongside at the shipyard minimises weather-related disruptions and improves operational safety and schedule certainty.

Photo credit: China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone
Published: 2 July, 2026

The Methanol Institute recently shared with Manifold Times the renewable and low-carbon methanol project pipeline June 2026 release produced by GENA Solutions Oy.

Information from the release is meant to provide the bunkering publication’s readers with insight on renewable methanol availability, and to assist the maritime industry in the adoption of methanol as a mainstream marine fuel heading into IMO 2030/2050.

Key takeaways from GENA’s June 2026 Methanol release are as follows:

• As of the end of June 2026, GENA tracks 284 renewable and low-carbon methanol projects, representing 61.8 Mt of capacity by 2031. This includes 24.7 Mt of e-methanol, 25.9 Mt of biomethanol, and 11.2 Mt of low-carbon methanol.
• Five new projects were added to Project Navigator, while three frozen projects were excluded. The cumulative project pipeline capacity by 2031 increased by just 0.1 Mt month on month.
• Renewable methanol project pipeline growth slowed in 2026 to about 0.7 Mt per month, compared with 1.1 Mt per month in 2025. The postponement of the IMO NZF adoption is one of the major factors behind this slowdown.
• About two-thirds of renewable methanol project pipeline growth over the past six months was driven by methanol-to-jet GENA now tracks 36 MTJ projects globally, with cumulative methanol consumption of more than 9 Mt.
• By the end of 2026, GENA expects operations to begin at three industrial-scale facilities: one hybrid biomethanol facility and two e-methanol facilities. This will increase renewable methanol operational capacity to up to 1.5 Mt.
• By 2031, global renewable methanol capacity could range from 6 Mt to 12 Mt.

Note: The full article can be viewed here.

Photo credit: GENA Solutions
Published: 2 July, 2026

Marine fuels testing company VPS on Tuesday (1 July) announced the opening of its brand new testing laboratory in Shanghai, China.

The company said this strategic investment strengthens VPS’ global laboratory network and reinforces the company’s commitment to delivering faster, locally-based testing services to customers operating in one of the world’s most important maritime markets. 

“Shanghai has emerged as one of the fastest growing marine bunkering hubs and is expected to play a major role in the future supply of both traditional fossil fuels and emerging low-to-zero carbon fuels,” it said in a statement. 

“The new Shanghai laboratory will provide comprehensive marine fuel testing services, enabling customers to benefit from further improved turnaround times and enhanced operational decision making.”

The facility will support vessel owners, operators, charterers and fuel suppliers, with rapid, independent analysis and technical expertise, helping stakeholders to manage fuel quality risks, protect assets and maintain regulatory compliance.

Dr. Malcolm Cooper, CEO at VPS, said: “VPS is pleased to announce the opening of our new Shanghai Laboratory, which will provide fuel quality testing for bunker fuels including methanol. China is central to the global shipping industry being the world’s largest shipbuilder, producer of shipping containers and operator of the biggest commercial fleet. Shanghai is therefore the perfect home for our latest laboratory, as VPS is the world’s leading fuel testing company”.

The investment comes as marine fuel volumes in Chinese ports continue to grow and customers increasingly demand faster testing and advisory services. The new facility further enhances the VPS global footprint, which already includes laboratories in Rotterdam, Singapore, Fujairah, Houston and Manchester, supported by an international team of technical experts, sales professionals and customer service specialists.

In addition to supporting conventional marine fuels, the Shanghai laboratory will provide testing and advisory services relevant to the industry’s growing adoption of low-to-zero carbon fuels, assisting customers to navigate emerging fuel quality performance and compliance challenges.

Andrew Morton, VPS MD-AMEA, stated: “The opening of our new laboratory in Shanghai’s Lingang New Area, positions VPS at the heart of one of China’s most important maritime and industrial growth hubs. This investment reflects our confidence in the Chinese maritime market, our commitment to supporting customers closer to where they operate and our belief that Asia will remain at the forefront of shipping’s energy transition.”

The Shanghai laboratory will serve both domestic and international customers operating throughout China and across the wider Asia-Pacific region, supporting ongoing growth in marine fuel testing demand and providing a platform for future expansion of VPS services within the Chinese maritime sector.

Photo credit: VPS
Published: 1 July, 2026