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

Korean Register (KR) on Tuesday (14 July) said it is collaborating with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) to establish a domestic operating environment for ammonia-fuelled vessels under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries’ Green Shipping Corridor Construction Support Project. 

The initiative supports the development of ammonia as one of the most promising next-generation marine fuels.

HHI recently conducted a sea trial of Korea’s first ammonia dual-fuel propulsion vessel. The trial generated operational data on the vessel’s fuel supply system and engine, which will provide a valuable technical foundation for KR’s future development of domestic guidelines for environmentally friendly vessel operations and supporting wider maritime decarbonisation efforts.

A spokesperson for HD Hyundai, said: “Drawing on our group’s R&D capabilities and on-site technical expertise, we have made meaningful progress in advancing the application of ammonia as a marine fuel. We expect this to help enhance a sustainable maritime ecosystem while strengthening the competitiveness of Korea’s shipbuilding industry.”

Kim Daeheon, Executive Vice President of KR’s R&D Division, added: “The close collaboration between KR and HD Hyundai has enabled us to build the technical foundation for introducing ammonia-fueled vessels in Korea. We will continue to drive national projects forward together with HD Hyundai and establish technical standards befitting the era of Green Shipping Corridors.”

Photo credit: HD Hyundai Heavy Industries
Published: 17 July, 2026

Industry coalition SEA-LNG on Thursday (16 July) published its 2026 Mid-Year Market Review. 

It provides a snapshot of the current market conditions facing the methane pathway, with particular focus on the growth of liquefied biomethane (LBM/bio-LNG). This report comes as SEA-LNG celebrates its tenth anniversary and gains provisional consultative status at the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

According to analysis of vessel orders from January to June 2026 from SEA-LNG member DNV, LNG dual-fuel orders remain robust at 73 vessels, accounting for almost 90% of the alternatively fuelled order book, when compared with ammonia, hydrogen and methanol. Additionally, there are now 67 LNG bunker vessels in operation, plus 42 more on order.

The LNG order book continues to be dominated by vessels serving liner trades especially container vessels and pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs). This is consistent with recent analysis by the World Shipping Council which shows that LNG remains the preferred fuel for container ship owners, accounting for 58% of total tonnage ordered versus conventional fuels at 36%.

There was also an increase in bunkering volumes and infrastructure. According to analysis by Kpler, global LNG bunker volumes were around 770,000 cubic meters (m3) per month in the period January to May 2026. This represents an increase of about 13% on the same period in 2025 as more LNG fuelled vessels have entered into operation together with favourable LNG and conventional fuel prices.

Liquefied biomethane is bunkered routinely today, and liquefied e-methane is in development. Since the introduction of regulations like FuelEU Maritime, LBM supply and demand have grown significantly. Data from the European Biogas Association show biomethane production capacity reached 8.2 bcm a year by the end of Q2 2026. This represents an additional 1 bcm in a single year, or growth of 17%. The number of operational biogas plants rose from 1,678 to 1,975 plants with €36 billion of allocated capital investment driving the sector.

Steve Esau, SEA-LNG COO, said: “Despite geopolitical and regulatory uncertainties in 2026, the industry is maintaining momentum on the methane decarbonisation pathway. This year’s mid-year review confirms that methane is the practical and realistic solution for shipping decarbonisation. 

“This is reflected in the growing numbers of LNG-fuelled vessels, LNG bunker vessels, and LNG bunkering volumes, as well as biomethane bunkering and production growth. As we look ahead, with e-methane also materialising, we are confident in the trajectory of the methane pathway to decarbonisation.”

SEA-LNG is active at the IMO and EU to underline the importance of goal-based and technology-neutral decarbonisation regulations, and ensure a global market for low and net zero fuels. As the methane pathway continues to mature, efforts have shifted from raising awareness to sharing members’ collective expertise on important technical details that will, for example, further reduce global well-to-wake emissions and scale up bio- and e-methane development and deployment.

As part of these efforts, last week SEA-LNG was granted provisional consultative status at the IMO. This status will enable SEA-LNG to engage directly with Members States as it advocates for practical and realistic regulations to help move the maritime industry forward.

Peter Keller, SEA-LNG Chairman, said: “I have been with SEA-LNG since we founded it 10 years ago, and what strikes me is how methane has ramped up from a pathway to a clear runway for shipping decarbonisation. When building the first LNG-powered containership, I didn’t imagine that within ten years over 10% of the global fleet by deadweight could be powered by methane. 

“What started as a solution to reduce harmful local emissions has cemented itself as the practical and realistic option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions today and into the future. As I look ahead, the fundamentals are strong, the orderbook is growing, the bunkering infrastructure is expanding at a record pace, and biomethane and e-methane are building on LNG’s foundation. Just as we expected.”

Note: SEA-LNG’s Methane Pathway – 2026 mid-year market review can be viewed here.

Photo credit: SEA-LNG
Published: 17 July, 2026