Marine fuel supplier Monjasa on Wednesday (8 January) announced the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) and the Middle East region’s first LNG bunkering operation, which took place on 4 January at Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal B together with Costa Cruises, part of Carnival Corporation.

On this occasion, the Monjasa-operated LNG bunker vessel Green Zeebrugge went alongside the cruise ship Costa Smeralda and successfully delivered around 3,000 cubic meters of LNG.

On 18 December 2024, Monjasa announced the charter of the 5,000 m3 vessel Green Zeebrugge for operations in the UAE.

About a week later, on 26 December, Green Zeebrugge arrived in Dubai waters following the departure from Amsterdam in November. 

The vessel was inspected by the authorities in Port Rashid on 27 December 2024, and the official bunkering permits were issued to Monjasa by the Dubai Maritime Authority and Dubai Ports Authority.

Monjasa Group CEO, Anders Østergaard, said: “We are excited about this first successful supply operation and to pioneer LNG as a new marine fuel option in the UAE.”

“However, reaching this milestone was only possible through the close collaboration of our forward-thinking partners at Carnival and Costa Cruises, ADNOC L&S and the UAE’s federal and local authorities, who are constantly embracing maritime innovation.”

“Together, we are all striving to position the UAE as a leading shipping hub in alternative fuels too.”

Related: Monjasa charters LNG bunker vessel in preparation for UAE operations

Photo credit: Monjasa
Published: 9 January, 2025

Editor's note [8 January 2025]: Photo updated.

Shanghai Port has begun regular methanol bunkering services following its inaugural refuelling operation for this year, according to Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) on Friday (3 January).

The port carried out the first ship-to-ship (STS) bunkering operation during simultaneous operations (SIMOPS) for large methanol-powered container ships for 2025 in Yangshan Port Area on 1 January. 

SIPG’s bunkering vessel Hai Gang Zhi Yuan refuelled Ane Maersk with 3,000 metric tonnes (mt) of green methanol. The event also marked the second time the same bunkering vessel refuelled Ane Maersk. 

The first-ever STS green methanol bunkering operation in Shanghai Port took place in April 2024 involving Astrid Maersk, which also marked the first green methanol bunkering in China. 

Shipping giant A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) announced the first green methanol bunkering with simultaneous cargo and bunkering operations in China, involving its containership Astrid Maersk. 

Hai Gang Zhi Yuan is the first methanol bunkering vessel in the port. 

Manifold Times previously reported SIPG stating Shanghai Port’s goal is to reach an LNG bunkering capacity of 1 million cubic meters (m3) and a green methanol bunkering capacity of 1 million mt by 2030, achieving a “double-million” target.

Currently, Shanghai Port operates two LNG bunkering vessels and one methanol bunkering vessel, with plans to add one more of each soon. 

In 2023, SIPG also signed a MoU with Maersk to explore green methanol fuel vessel-to-vessel bunkering operation after the delivery of Maersk’s green methanol container vessels in 2024.

Related: Shanghai Port ramps up LNG and methanol bunkering to achieve ‘double-million’ target
Related: Maersk and Shanghai International Port ink deal on green methanol bunkering
Related: Historic first for China with first green methanol bunkering op of “Astrid Maersk”

Photo credit: A.P. Moller – Maersk
Published: 8 January, 2025

Shanghai Port delivered more than 4 million metric tonnes (mt) of bonded marine fuel oil to international vessels in 2024, according to China’s General Administration of Customs. 

The port reached 4.159 million mt, an increase of 20.4% year-on-year, setting a record high for the same period in history.

The milestone was reached after bunker barge Tong Yin 5006 completed the refuelling of vehicles carrier Dream Diva, under ZIM Integrated Shipping Services, with 1,500 mt of bonded fuel oil on 31 December. 

In order to enhance Shanghai's global shipping resource allocation capabilities and reduce the cost of bonded bunkering for international ships, Shanghai Customs actively promoted the implementation of innovative policies such as “integration of the two warehouse functions” and “mixing and blending of bonded high and low fuel oils”, supported the expansion of bonded bunkering business, and helped the innovative development of Shanghai's shipping services industry.

“Since 2024, the total amount of bonded fuel oil refuelled by our company has increased by more than 2.5 times year-on-year, and the export trade volume has exceeded 6 billion yuan,” said Wu Hao, manager of the bunkering business department of Shanghai Fuyuan Fuel Oil.

“Customs policies such as ‘integration of two warehouse functions’, ‘one ship, multiple supplies’, and ‘supply first, report later’ have saved us about 9 million yuan in various costs. We will pass on the cost savings to customers and attract more and more shipowners to choose to refuel at Shanghai Port.”

Photo credit: Siyuan Hu on Unsplash
Published: 6 January, 2025