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

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) on Tuesday (30 June) said it signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Shenzhen Port Group on 29 June in Shenzhen, China.

The two parties engaged in in-depth discussions on strengthening collaboration across key sectors and jointly advancing the development of green shipping corridors.

Under the agreement, both parties will leverage their respective strengths and resources to deepen collaboration focused on the development of green shipping corridors and related businesses. Through resource sharing and complementary capabilities, they will jointly develop green shipping projects to deliver replicable and scalable outcomes.

Bureau Veritas will provide professional technical support to Shenzhen Port Group and industry players at large, helping them navigate evolving maritime regulatory policies and translate emerging international rules into practical, implementable measures to align domestic and global industry standards.

Backed by its comprehensive global business footprint, BV offers end-to-end testing, inspection and certification services covering the entire green fuel industrial chain, spanning renewable energy production to bunkering infrastructure for marine fuels. It has also built extensive hands-on experience in numerous domestic green fuel projects.

Alex Gregg-Smith, President of Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, said: Global decarbonization of the shipping industry requires concerted efforts and in-depth collaboration across the entire industrial value chain. 

“As a world-class port conglomerate, Shenzhen Port Group boasts strengths that are highly complementary to Bureau Veritas’s expertise in technical services and standard-setting. Deepening our partnership is of great significance for the green transition of the shipping sector. We hope this collaboration will serve as a catalyst to align domestic and international standards and jointly develop viable pathways for low-carbon maritime trade.”

Hu Zhaoyang, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Board at Shenzhen Port Group, stated: “Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore is a globally recognized authoritative body in the maritime sector, with a wealth of decarbonization solutions and practical experience for the global shipping industry. Its vision aligns perfectly with Shenzhen Port Group’s green development strategy. 

“Building on this agreement, we will further expand all-round cooperation across relevant fields, and maximize the combined value of Shenzhen Port Group’s diverse industrial application scenarios and BV’s authoritative technical certification capabilities to achieve mutual benefit through complementary strengths.”

Photo credit: Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore
Published: 2 July, 2026

Global commodity trading firm Mercuria and Italian oil and gas major Eni on Wednesday (1 July) announced the signing of an agreement to establish a jointly owned global energy trading venture that will combine the complementary strengths of both companies to optimise the marketing, logistics, and trading of energy commodities worldwide.

The joint venture, owned equally by Mercuria and Eni, will operate independently through a holding structure with its headquarters in Geneva and international trading hubs providing a truly global platform for energy markets.

The venture will oversee selected commercialisation and trading activities across a broad range of energy commodities, including oil, biofuels, natural gas, LNG, LPG, and associated logistics and infrastructure rights.

By combining Mercuria’s global trading expertise, market intelligence, and risk management capabilities with Eni’s extensive upstream, midstream, and downstream asset knowledge, the joint venture will enhance the optimisation of physical energy flows while strengthening access to global markets.

Marco Dunand, Chief Executive Officer of Mercuria, said, “This partnership brings together two highly complementary organisations with a shared long-term vision for energy markets. By integrating physical energy flows with world-class trading, logistics, and risk management capabilities, we will create a more agile and efficient platform that maximises value across the supply chain. 

“Together, we will be better positioned to serve customers, optimise assets and navigate increasingly dynamic global energy markets.”

The joint venture will leverage the strengths of both companies to enhance the integration of physical assets with commercial optimisation, combining deep operational knowledge with advanced trading capabilities, which will improve supply chain flexibility, strengthen resilience, and unlock additional value across the energy value chain.

Photo credit: Mercuria
Published: 2 July, 2026