China’s first methanol fuel ship-to-ship bunkering operation at a shipyard was completed at the Changxing Island base terminal of Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry.
The operation established several firsts in the domestic and international markets and is described as a replicable model for low-carbon transition in shipping.
Under the escort of Chongming Maritime Bureau’s patrol vessel, the bunkering ship Haigang Zhiyuan sailed steadily to berth No. 1 of Shanghai Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry and alongside the container vessel Cosco Shipping Libra. More than 2,000 tons of methanol fuel were supplied.
The ship-to-ship method, pioneered by Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry, reduced the bunkering time to five hours from the traditional 70 hours by truck-to-ship operations.
Niu Wei, methanol project manager at Shanghai Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry, said: “Ship-to-ship bunkering also has more advantages in terms of safety, requiring only one interface connection at the ship’s side, which reduces leakage risk.”
In June this year, the first LNG ship-to-ship bunkering at a repair shipyard in Shanghai was completed. The successful methanol operation now indicates further maturity of the “delivery + bunkering” one-stop service model. To address safety challenges, Chongming Maritime Bureau, under the coordination of Shanghai Maritime Bureau, developed a “1+3+N” supervision framework, including pre-operation emergency drills and real-time sharing of hydrological and operational data.
Wang Yanhai, deputy captain of Changxing Maritime Patrol Enforcement Team, said: “Vessel traffic in the Shanghai section of the Yangtze River is dense, and bunkering ships as dangerous goods carriers face high navigation risks. We conducted precise monitoring of bunkering vessel movements, ensured safe distances, and strictly implemented personnel protection and fire prevention measures considering methanol’s low flash point and toxicity.”
The operation set multiple records: the first methanol ship-to-ship bunkering in a shipyard in China, the first such service on the Yangtze River trunk line, the first domestic methanol bunkering vessel Haigang Zhiyuan, and the first large container vessel worldwide, Cosco Shipping Libra, to undergo dual main and auxiliary engine retrofit for methanol fuel.
Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited, engaged in shipbuilding, offshore engineering, and vessel repair. It operates multiple shipyards across China, including the Changxing Island base in Shanghai.