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

AD Ports Group on Tuesday (30 June) said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IRH Global Trading Ltd. to explore strategic cooperation in bunkering services and alternative marine fuels at Khalifa Port.

The MoU outlines potential collaboration across a range of areas, including the provision of bunkering services to vessels calling at Khalifa Port, the development of alternative fuel solutions such as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), biofuels, and methanol, and the exploration of opportunities related to fuel storage infrastructure, terminal facilities, and fuel sampling and testing capabilities.

Saif Al Mazrouei, CEO, Ports Cluster – AD Ports Group, said: “This collaboration reflects our commitment to forging strategic alliances that create long-term, sustainable value. 

“By working alongside trusted partners such as IRH, we are enhancing our capabilities and supporting the development of future-ready infrastructure and services that reinforce the UAE’s position as a leading global trade and logistics hub, in line with the vision of our wise leadership.”

Ali Rashed Alrashdi, Group CEO – International Resources Holding, said: “This collaboration with AD Ports Group reflects IRH’s commitment to build strategic partnerships that drive real economic impact. 

“As we continue to develop our global energy trading platform, bunkering and alternative marine fuels represent a high-potential area of growth. We see Khalifa Port as an ideal base from which to explore these opportunities, and we look forward to working closely with AD Ports Group to bring them to life.”

Through this collaboration, AD Ports Group and IRH Global Trading aim to further enhance Khalifa Port’s value proposition as a multi-purpose, deep-water port that supports efficient, sustainable, and future-oriented maritime operations.

IRH Global Trading is a global commodities trading firm with interests across the mining and energy value chain and plans to build a diversified global minerals and energy trading platform, including LNG, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), crude oil, and petroleum products. 

Photo credit: AD Ports Group
Published: 1 July, 2026

Singapore-headquartered shipping firm Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) on Monday (29 June) said from the start of recorded data to 31 Dec 2025, the company completed a total of 530 LNG bunkering operations with over 2.4 million cubic meters (m3) of LNG bunkered. 

In its 2026 ESG Report, the company said it continued advancing practical decarbonisation through its dual-fuel fleet expansion, alternative fuels, wind-assisted propulsion, and digital optimisation initiatives, alongside strengthened emissions reporting and third-party assurance.

With over 170 vessels designed to operate on alternative fuels, EPS said its fleet is among the largest dual-fuel fleets in the industry. In 2025, 25% of the fuel consumed by EPS fleet were alternative marine fuels, including LNG, LPG, ethane, and biofuels. 

In 2025, EPS also expanded its use of B100 biodiesel, a renewable fuel derived from sustainably sourced biomass such as used cooking oil, food waste, and agricultural residues, which offers increasing global availability and compatibility with existing marine engines while delivering substantial Well-to-Wake (WtW) emission reductions relative to conventional fossil fuels under certified supply chains. 

In 2025 alone, 94% of the biofuel the company  purchased were B100 grade. Cumulatively, from the start of recorded data to 31 Dec 2025, EPS has completed 61 biofuel bunkering operations with over 33,000 mt of biofuel.

The use of alternative fuels has lowered its emission by 464,610 mt of CO2e relative to conventional marine fuels, and it is equivalent to 9% of its entire Scope 1 emission.

The company added that its investments in wind-assisted propulsion systems, alternative fuels, digital optimisation and operational efficiency reinforced its long-term decarbonisation strategy. 

Since 2018, EPS has invested significantly in maritime decarbonisation, committing at scale to LNG as a transition fuel while progressively deploying a broad range of sustainable solutions across both legacy vessels and newbuild programmes, including ammonia-fuelled vessel orders.

As at the end of 2025, EPS had invested approximately USD 2.6 billion across 15 green projects, with over 51% of the fleet designed to operate on alternative fuels such as LNG, LPG, ethane and ammonia.

Photo credit: Eastern Pacific Shipping
Published: 30 June, 2026