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Unitrove Group receives UK govt grant to further develop hydrogen bunkering facility

£30,000 awarded by the UK Department for Transport will help firm prepare its liquid hydrogen bunkering facility towards commercialisation, says CEO.

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unitrove receives uk government grant

Unitrove Group, the creator of the world’s first liquid hydrogen bunkering facility for fuelling zero-emission ships, on Wednesday (13 April) said it has won a UK Government grant to develop a unit ready for rapid deployment to ports around the world.

Steven Lua, CEO of Unitrove Innovation, part of the Unitrove Group, said the £30,000 Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) awarded by the Department for Transport in partnership with Connected Places Catapult would be used to help further develop its commercial version of the small-scale portable facility.

The Leicestershire-based clean-tech company unveiled the unit at COP26 in Glasgow last November.

“The award will help us to further develop our liquid hydrogen bunkering facility as we move towards commercialisation,” said Mr Lua.

“This is fantastic validation for our project and it also opens up opportunities for increased collaboration as we work towards reducing emissions, which are causing so much damage to our planet.

“We need collaboration across the entire energy industry as there is no one-size-fits-all solution. We need to embrace multiple renewable and clean energy solutions to achieve our net-zero ambitions and we need real investment in infrastructure to develop affordable, reliable, sustainable energy in the future.”

He said liquid hydrogen as a commercial fuel was relatively unexplored as an option – but that it had great potential for many uses, including plugging the gap that electric and compressed hydrogen cannot fill.

“We already see very early signs of light-duty vessels being battery-driven or powered by compressed gaseous hydrogen, but liquid hydrogen will allow us to serve the heavier portion of the shipping fleet where we hope to have a much larger impact,” notes Mr Lua.

“We believe that hydrogen will be recognised as a global commodity that will be traded in the same way that natural gas is today. The bunker fuel market is worth an estimated $120bn, so there is a huge opportunity not only in environmental and social terms, but also financially.”

The TRIG programme was launched by the Department for Transport in 2014 to foster research and innovation in the sector. This year’s TRIG is the largest ever, with over 50 awards spanning different areas including maritime decarbonisation and the future of freight.

Transport Minister Trudy Harrison said: “Innovation funded as part of TRIG could be the key to unlocking a more efficient and safer transport system for tomorrow.

“I support the ingenious ideas of this year’s cohort every step of the way and wish the successful applicants all the very best. I look forward to seeing the ideas develop to boost our green agenda and create high-skilled jobs across the UK.”

Related: Unitrove launches world’s first liquid hydrogen bunkering facility at COP26
Related: Unitrove launches campaign to target construction of liquid hydrogen bunkering facility

 

Photo credit: Unitrove
Published: 14 April, 2022

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Milestone

China: Chimbusco and BJEC enter green methanol cooperation agreement

Document was signed between Ding Lihai, deputy general manager of Chimbusco, and Li Jianjun, deputy general manager of BJEC.

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Chimbusco x BJEC MT

China Marine Bunker (PetroChina) Co.,Ltd. (Chimbusco) and POWERCHINA Beijing Engineering Corporation Limited (BJEC) on Thursday (3 July) formally entered into a green methanol strategic cooperation framework agreement.

The document was signed between Ding Lihai, deputy general manager of Chimbusco, and Li Jianjun, deputy general manager of BJEC.

BJEC, a subsidiary of China Power Engineering Group, is experienced in the survey, design, construction and technology research and development of large-scale renewable energy projects.

Moving forward, the two parties said they will respectively focus on their core advantages and work together to promote the production, supply, storage and refuelling of green methanol as an energy source to help support the low-carbon transformation of the shipping industry.

Ding Lihai said: “The shipping industry is one of the important sources of global carbon emissions. Promoting low-carbon fuel is the key to the transformation of the industry. As the main force in the supply of bunker fuel, Chimbusco has been committed to expanding its clean fuel supply capacity. The cooperation with BJEC will integrate the advantages of green energy development and fuel supply, accelerate the large-scale application of green methanol, and meet the needs of shipping companies for clean fuel. We look forward to providing effective solutions for the green transformation of the shipping industry through the joint efforts of both parties.”

Li Jianjun said: “Implementing the ‘dual carbon’ goal is an important responsibility of enterprises. BJEC has accumulated strong technical strength in the field of green energy. This cooperation with Chimbusco will focus on the entire industrial chain of green methanol, from raw materials, production to supply, to provide clean and sustainable fuel solutions for the shipping industry. The complementary advantages of both parties will promote the rapid development of the green methanol industry and inject strong impetus into the low-carbon transformation of the shipping industry.”

 

Photo credit: China Marine Bunker (PetroChina) Co.,Ltd.
Published: 8 July 2025

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Towngas and Royal Vopak collaborate to expand green methanol supply chain network

‘Towngas has recently completed a 6,000-tonne green methanol bunkering project, the largest in Asia,” said its Chief Operating Officer – Green Fuel and Chemicals.

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Towngas x Royal Vopak MT

Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited (Towngas) and Vopak China Management Co., Ltd. (Royal Vopak) on Tuesday (8 July) said both recently signed a strategic framework cooperation agreement to collaborate in areas such as green methanol production, storage, bunkering, and trading etc.

Focusing on the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and Asia-Pacific markets, both parties are joining forces to expand an efficient green methanol supply chain network and support the shipping industry’s low-carbon transition.

The two parties will capitalise on their respective strengths to expand the supply network of green methanol.

Towngas employs proprietary technology to convert agricultural and forestry waste as well as scrap tyres into green methanol, and has obtained multiple international certifications and provides a sufficient supply of green methanol for maritime fuel bunkering.

Royal Vopak provides green methanol storage and terminal services with its comprehensive storage and terminal infrastructure and coastal port network advantages.

Together, the two parties will achieve efficient resource allocation and ship green methanol to the Greater Bay Area, East China, South China, and the broader Asia-Pacific markets, further expanding the green methanol supply chain network.

Towngas and Royal Vopak will further develop multiple areas of regional cooperation, including in the Greater Bay Area. By leveraging the strengths of the ports in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou, the partnership will focus on “production and storage synergy” as its core to strengthen cooperation around logistics and terminal facility construction, and to build an integrated green methanol storage and transportation network.

In East China, the two parties will centre their collaboration in Shanghai and Ningbo, two major international ports, to further strengthen cooperation in logistics storage and bunkering facility construction to meet the growing demand for green fuels at both ports.

In the Bohai Bay region, with Tianjin as the strategic hub, Towngas will transport green methanol produced at its northern China production base to Royal Vopak’s local storage tank farm, then achieve resource allocation through the Royal Vopak’s distribution network, supporting the supply of green methanol from northern China to the national and Asia-Pacific markets.

The two parties will also target key export markets, such as Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea, to accelerate overseas expansion and boost the market competitiveness of clean energy in the Asia-Pacific region.

“Towngas has recently completed a 6,000-tonne green methanol bunkering project, the largest in Asia,” said Sham Man-fai, Towngas Chief Operating Officer – Green Fuel and Chemicals.

“It was completed with the support of Royal Vopak’s Tianjin storage tank farm facilities, laying a solid foundation for this partnership.

“Towngas’s Inner Mongolia green methanol plant is set to increase its annual capacity from 100,000 tonnes to 150,000 tonnes by the end of this year, with plans to further expand to 300,000 tonnes by 2028. Together with Royal Vopak’s storage and terminal services infrastructure and coastal port network, the two parties will build a comprehensive green methanol supply chain network.”

 

Photo credit: Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited
Published: 8 July 2025

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Biofuel

Chimbusco Pan Nation bio bunker fuel supply volume in H1 2025 surpasses 2024 total

Company supplied over 78,000 metric tonnes of marine biofuel in Hong Kong in the first six months of 2025, surpassing its total biofuel supply for the whole of 2024.

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Chimbusco Pan Nation bio bunker fuel supply volume in H1 2025 surpasses 2024 total

Hong Kong-based marine fuel oil supplier Chimbusco Pan Nation Petro-Chemical (CPN) on Friday (4 July) said it has supplied over 78,000 metric tonnes (mt) of marine biofuel in Hong Kong in the first six months of 2025.

As such, the company said its biofuel volume for the first half of the year exceeded its total biofuel supply for the whole of 2024. 

“This record-breaking achievement highlights our commitment to sustainability and innovation in the maritime industry,” the company said in a social media post. 

“From January to June 2025, our team surpassed last year’s total, proving that dedication and excellence knows no limits—and exceeded 2024 by 80%!”

Manifold Times previously reported CPN setting a record for China’s largest B24 marine biofuel bunkering operation.

CPN delivered 6,300 mt of B24-VLSFO in Hong Kong to container ship XIN LOS ANGELES on 15 May. The supply exceeded CPN’s previous record of 5,500 mt delivered to the same ship in February 2025.

In April, the company also commenced supply of B30 biofuel in Hong Kong. 

Related: Hong Kong: CPN hits new record for China’s largest B24 biofuel bunkering operation
Related: CPN achieves largest B24 bio bunker fuel delivery in Hong Kong and China
Related: Chimbusco Pan Nation launches B30 bio bunker fuel supply in Hong Hong

 

Photo credit: Chimbusco Pan Nation Petro-Chemical
Published: 7 July, 2025

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