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Gothenburg Port Authority publishes methanol operating regulations for ship-to-ship bunkering

Arrangements to set up a value chain with the ambition to become the primary bunkering hub for renewable methanol in Northern Europe is also being done.
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Port of Gothenburg

The Gothenburg Port Authority on Tuesday (26 April) said it has published general methanol operating regulations for ship-to-ship bunkering, following its target to reduce shipping emissions by 70% within  the Port of Gothenburg by 2030. 

“From the Port of Gothenburg we want to support this by enabling these vessels to take bunker at their convenience. Therefore, we are happy to share that we have received acceptance from the Swedish Transport Agency for the general methanol operating regulations for ship-to-ship bunkering,” said Christoffer Lillhage, Senior Business Development Manager Energy at the Gothenburg Port Authority.

“This work has been finalised after great support from Saeed Mohebbi from the Swedish Transport Agency. His knowledge and support has been very valuable.”

As this is a general approval for the port, each terminal will do a complementary risk assessment but this is more of a formality when the general guidelines now are in place. For example, the Port of Gothenburg has already handled methanol in the port since 2015 when Stena Line started to bunker Stena Germanica truck to vessel.

“Now we hope to see Maersk, X-press Feeders and many other shipping lines routing their new methanol vessels to the North of Europe and we would be delighted to welcome them with open arms to the largest port in Scandinavia,” said Elvir Dzanic, CEO at the Gothenburg Port Authority.

X-Press Feeders is an independent feeder carrier, and one of the major players dedicated to introducing methanol as a shipping fuel on a larger scale already in 2023 while having eight 1,170 TEU container ships capable of being operated on carbon neutral methanol. 

“I am happy to see that Port of Gothenburg is working proactively to facilitate the bunkering of Methanol. It is encouraging as we need the ports to be ready when we are to decide where to route our first line of methanol propelled vessels,” said Sven Siemsen Senior Manager Marketing Europe at X-Press Feeders.

The shipping industry needs a variety of fuels in the future, and renewable products like eMethanol is one important fuel to reach Net zero targets. Therefore, the Port of Gothenburg is also making arrangements to setup a value chain with the determination to provide eMethanol in the port by 2024.

“Together with industry front runners in the field of E-fuels such as Liquid Wind and their partner Ørsted, we are working to make this a reality. We are also planning for large scale storage of methanol with storage operators in the port when the demand is in place. We encourage methanol producers and stake holders in the industry to reach out and start a dialog with the Port of Gothenburg as we have set the aim to become a bunker and storage hub for methanol/eMethanol,” said Lillhage.

“We are pleased to see that ship-to-ship methanol bunkering and infrastructure will come to reality in the Port of Gothenburg. This is a strong benefit for carriers planning to buy our green electrofuel, eMethanol. It enables Liquid Wind and our value chain collaborators to establish multiple production facilities in Sweden and other Nordic countries,” said Claes Fredriksson, CEO and founder of Liquid Wind.

“A strong and leading eMethanol hub in Gothenburg accelerates our ability to market and distribute our carbon neutral marine fuel to the world. It also puts Sweden on the global fuel export market.”

 Note: The Port of Gothenburg general methanol operating regulations for ship-to-ship bunkering can be found here.

Photo credit: The Port of Gothenburg
Published: 27 April, 2022

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Methanol

OOCL dual-fuel boxship completes first green methanol bunkering op at Qingdao Port

“OOCL Wisdom” completed its first green methanol bunkering and commenced its maiden voyage to Europe at Qingdao Port on 3 July.

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July 6, 2026

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OOCL dual-fuel boxship completes first green methanol bunkering op at Qingdao Port

​International container transportation and logistics company Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) on Friday (3 July) said its first methanol dual-fuel containership, OOCL Wisdom, completed its first green methanol bunkering and commenced its maiden voyage at Qingdao Port.

OOCL Wisdom is the first in a series of seven methanol dual-fuel container vessels. With a maximum capacity of 24,168 TEU, it is currently the world’s largest methanol dual‑fuel container vessel and is deployed on the Asia – North Europe Loop 1 (LL1) service.

Mr. Peter Pan, Director of Trades of OOCL, said: “OOCL Wisdom completed its first green methanol bunkering and commenced its maiden voyage to Europe at Qingdao Port, representing a significant achievement of the deepening collaboration between OOCL and Shandong Port Group, and reflecting OOCL’s steadfast commitment to green and low‑carbon development, digital intelligence and sustainability.”

 

Photo credit: Orient Overseas Container Line
Published: 6 July, 2026

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LNG Bunkering

Zhejiang Province wraps up first cross-regional bonded LNG bunkering operation

“Hai Yang Shi You 302” supplied container ship “MSC Maria Laura” with 3,500 cubic meters of bonded LNG at Chuanshan Port Area, after the bunkering vessel received bonded LNG in Zhoushan.

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July 6, 2026

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Zhejiang Province wraps up first cross-regional bonded LNG bunkering operation

Zhejiang Province on Saturday (27 June) completed its first cross-regional bonded LNG bunkering operation at Chuanshan Port Area of ​​Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, according to Hangzhou Customs. 

Bunkering vessel Hai Yang Shi You 302 travelled to ENN Zhoushan LNG receiving terminal to load bonded LNG. The vessel then supplied container ship MSC Maria Laura with 3,500 cubic meters of bonded LNG at Chuanshan Port Area. 

Zhejiang Province wraps up first cross-regional bonded LNG bunkering operation

Compared with the traditional single-port bunkering model, the cross-regional operation removes the geographical barriers between Zhoushan’s gas supply and bunkering demand in Ningbo’s core port area, enabling cross-port LNG transfer within the province.

“The new operating model addresses longstanding constraints associated with the geographical limitations of LNG supply reloading and tight operational time windows,” said Chen Bangkui, Business Manager at CNOOC Zhejiang New Energy Co Ltd. 

“We can now flexibly source bonded LNG from both Zhoushan and Ningbo, significantly improving operational flexibility and efficiency.”

 

Photo credit: Hangzhou Customs
Published: 6 July, 2026

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Battery

ICCT: China’s electric cargo ship fleet grows 950% in three years

In its latest blog, ICCT says vessel sizes for electric cargo ships have grown significantly, indicating that China is testing the feasibility of electrification for increasingly larger ships.

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July 6, 2026

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The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) recently said China’s fleet of electric cargo ships has grown by 950%, from just four vessels in 2022 to 42 in 2025.

According to its latest blog, electrification is rapidly expanding along inland waterways in the country, offering a pathway to cut emissions, improve air quality, and lower operating costs.

ICCT said electric cargo ships are entering real-world operation at a rapidly growing pace

“Ship types have diversified, from bulk carriers and container ships to multi-purpose cargo ships. At the same time, vessel sizes have grown significantly, with the maximum deadweight tonnage (DWT) rising from around 3,000 tonnes in 2022 to approximately 14,000 tonnes in 2025,” it said.

“This indicates that China is testing the feasibility of electrification for increasingly larger ships.”

Although battery capacity constraints continue to limit sailing range per charge—which typically hovered between 150 km and 400 km from 2022 to 2025—trends show steady improvement; by 2025, electric cargo ships with a range of up to 500 km were already in operation in China.

Inland waterways have become the primary testing ground for electric cargo ship deployment. 

By the end of 2025, 86% of electric cargo ships in China were operating on internal rivers. 

“Nine provinces and municipalities have already launched pilot projects, covering major waterways such as the Yangtze River, the Pearl River, and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal,” ICCT added.

The blog also explored the opportunities, challenges, and policy actions that could accelerate the shift to electric inland shipping.

“Developing an enhanced subsidy that favors electric vessels, on top of the current vessel trade-in subsidy program, could help reduce the upfront investment burden for electric vessel adoption,” it recommended.

ICCT added that tightening ship engine emission standards toward world-leading levels could increase the compliance costs of conventional-fuel vessels and improve the relative competitiveness of electric ships.

“The electrification of inland shipping in China is already underway; what is needed now is smart policy to accelerate the transition,” it said.

 

Photo credit: CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash
Published: 6 July, 2026

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