On August 23, at the Meidong Terminal of Ningbo Zhoushan Port, the newly-built professional methanol bunkering vessel "Zhongran Lünen 85" successfully delivered 5,493 tonnes of green methanol to the ocean-going container giant "COSCO Shipping Libra". Combined with the 973 tonnes of conventional methanol bunkering completed three days earlier for "COSCO Shipping Lily", this new specialised vessel has completed two bunkering deals in quick succession, leveraging an efficient model that synchronises cargo handling with fuel replenishment. This milestone also signals that green methanol bunkering at Ningbo Zhoushan Port has officially transitioned from a pilot demonstration phase into a new stage of routine, professional operations.

An Evolving Model: A Leap in Operational Efficiency

Providing methanol bunkering services for ocean-going vessels only began at Ningbo Zhoushan Port just over a year ago, yet progress has been steady and rapid. On September 29, 2025, seven specialised methanol tanker trucks arrived at the terminal to supply 230 tonnes of green methanol to the 20,000-TEU methanol dual-fuel container ship "COSCO Shipping Libra", marking the port's critical first step into methanol bunkering. On April 22, 2026, Zhejiang Province's first ship-to-ship green methanol bunkering operation was successfully completed at Meishan Port Area of Ningbo Zhoushan Port. In that operation, the converted bunkering vessel "Daqing 268" completed the supply of 503 tonnes of methanol to the "COSCO Shipping Libra" in just about one hour — cutting the operating time by nearly six hours compared to the traditional tanker truck method, representing a qualitative leap in efficiency. In August 2026, the newly-built professional bunkering vessel "Zhongran Lünen 85" was officially put into service, completing two batches of bunkering operations: 973 tonnes of conventional methanol and 5,493 tonnes of green methanol. From that point on, methanol bunkering at Ningbo Zhoushan Port gained its own "regular force." The "Zhongran Lünen 85" represents a total investment of over RMB 100 million. With an overall length of 119.88 metres, its cargo tanks are constructed from duplex stainless steel with exceptional corrosion resistance, and the vessel is classed with the China Classification Society. The ship combines the dual functions of hazardous chemical maritime transport and vessel bunkering, capable of both coastal chemical cargo transportation and ship methanol refuelling. What makes it particularly distinctive is its ownership structure: the vessel was financed and constructed by the local Ningbo shipping enterprise Hengxing Shipping Group, while China National Marine Fuel Service Corporation's Ningbo subsidiary, Ningbo Zhongran Marine Fuel Co., Ltd., operates it under a lease arrangement. Private enterprise invests and builds; central state-owned enterprise operates — each party leverages its respective strengths. On July 31, the vessel completed all filing procedures and was formally commissioned, filling the gap in professional methanol bunkering capacity at Ningbo Zhoushan Port.

Balancing Both Scenarios: Unlocking New Bunkering Applications

Not long ago, Shanghai Port completed an 8,000-tonne green methanol bunkering operation at Lühua Mountain anchorage, setting a new global record for single-operation bunkering volume. Against that backdrop, is Ningbo Zhoushan Port's 5,493-tonne delivery comparatively underwhelming? In fact, the two operations took place under fundamentally different scenarios and cannot be simply compared. The Shanghai Port operation was carried out at the Lühua Mountain anchorage, where vessels lie at anchor in open sea waters, offering relatively ample operational space. The Ningbo Zhoushan Port bunkering, by contrast, was conducted while the vessel was berthed alongside the terminal. Within a busy port area with dense vessel traffic, the operation required coordinating terminal production schedules, managing vessel berthing and departure arrangements, and implementing both shoreside facility controls and on-site safety precautions — a far more complex environment with greater coordination demands. The ability to safely complete a 5,493-tonne methanol bunkering operation at a berth means this procedure has proven itself viable for conversion into daily routine — completing methanol refuelling while a vessel is alongside for cargo operations is the most common application scenario in the future shipping market. "Given the high-risk, multi-link, and multi-stage nature of methanol bunkering operations, we have maintained proactive supervision and end-to-end control. Through full-process closed-loop regulation and precisely refined control measures, we have successfully ensured both batches of bunkering operations were completed safely, standard-compliantly, smoothly, and efficiently," explained Cai Weiwei, captain of the Meidong Maritime Enforcement Brigade at Ningbo Meishan Maritime Safety Administration.

Expanded Fuel Portfolio: Strengthened Green Marine Fuel Assurance Capability

This latest breakthrough in green methanol bunkering at Ningbo Zhoushan Port completes the port's trio of clean marine fuel categories — biofuel oil, green methanol, and LNG — establishing a multi-category, coordinated clean fuel supply system that offers a diverse range of low-carbon fuel options for visiting vessels. The numbers demonstrate this capability convincingly: in 2025, Ningbo Zhoushan Port's total green fuel bunkering volume reached 174,000 tonnes, ranking third nationally. Of that total, biofuel oil bunkering reached 60,000 tonnes, ranking first in China; LNG bunkering reached 111,300 tonnes (equivalent to 253,000 cubic metres), ranking third nationally. With the green methanol bunkering segment now filling a key gap, the port's comprehensive support capability for international navigation vessels has been elevated to a new level. Going forward, the Ningbo transportation and port navigation authorities will continue to promote this full-chain service model, coordinating with port enterprises, terminal operators, and shipping companies to continuously expand green fuel application scenarios. In the future, an increasing number of vessels engaged in international routes are expected to choose Ningbo Zhoushan Port for their green fuel replenishment needs.