China launches methanol shipping supply chain alliance to accelerate green transition
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by Admin
China Waterborne Transport Research Institute under the Ministry of Transport and China Transport News recently jointly launched a Methanol Fuel Shipping Supply Chain Innovation Alliance with 20 organisations spanning the shipping, port, energy, equipment, research and industry association sectors.
The alliance was officially announced during the main event of China Maritime Day 2026 on 11 July, where members also released a joint initiative to develop a collaborative methanol-fuelled shipping supply chain.
The alliance aims to implement China’s national strategy for green economic transformation and support the Ministry of Transport’s “One Network, Four Modernisations” initiative by building a safe, efficient, economical and reliable methanol marine fuel supply chain
Under the joint initiative, alliance members pledged to align with China’s national decarbonisation strategy by promoting methanol as a key pathway for the shipping sector’s green transition and optimising the industry’s energy mix.
The members also pledged to strengthen collaboration across the supply chain to improve coordination between bunker fuel production, transportation and end users while advancing technological innovation.
Lastly, the alliance will support the development of policies, planning and technical standards, promote resource sharing and joint research, and accelerate the large-scale adoption of methanol as a marine fuel.
The alliance brings together companies and organisations representing the entire methanol shipping supply chain.
Members include shipping and port members such as China Changjiang National Shipping (Group) Corporation, COSCO Shipping Bulk Co., Ltd., Shandong Port Group, and Wuhan Chuangxin Jianghai Shipping Co., Ltd.
Energy companies in the alliance include Sinopec Chemical Commercial Holding Company Limited and Methanex Corporation.
Marine fuel suppliers including Sinopec Fuel Oil Sales, China Marine Bunker (PetroChina), SIPG Energy (Shanghai) Co Ltd and Shenzhen Port Energy Development Co Ltd are also part of the alliance.
Equipment manufacturers in the alliance are CSSC 711th Research Institute, CSSC Power (Group) Corporation Ltd and Chongqing Hongjiang Machinery Co Ltd.
Research, media and industry organisations participating in the alliance include the China Waterborne Transport Research Institute, China Transport News, and the Methanol Institute.
The Methanol Institute said methanol is moving beyond individual projects towards coordinated action across the entire value chain.
“And China continues to play a leading role in advancing methanol as a marine fuel,” it said in a social media post.
“We’re proud to work alongside our fellow alliance members to help strengthen the methanol supply chain and support the continued growth of methanol as a marine fuel.”
Photo credit: David Yu from Pixabay
Published: 17 July, 2026
