The CM Guangzhou ship, designed with a capacity of 7,800 standard vehicle units, recognized as a new generation of large green roll-on/roll-off vessels, departed from Nansha Port in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, on Friday after refueling with 2,300 tons of methanol. This ship carries 4,000 new energy vehicles for export to Europe.
Development of Green Transportation Services
This operation is considered the first green methanol refueling for a roll-on/roll-off ship in Guangdong and represents a key step towards upgrading green and low-carbon transportation services at Nansha Port. This port is recognized as the first in the world to conduct green methanol refueling for three types of clean energy vessels — container ships, bulk carriers, and car carriers.
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Methanol Refueling Process
The dual-power methanol system of this ship significantly reduces the emissions of sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter, and is considered an important technological direction for the green transformation of roll-on/roll-off ships. On its maiden voyage from Guangzhou, this ship will stop at ports in Spain and Belgium on its way to Europe.
According to Li Guanjie, Deputy General Manager of the Customs Business Department of China Shipping and Sinopec Suppliers, the provision of green marine fuel in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area has progressed from a single ship trial project to covering multiple types of vessels and complete scenarios. The company aims to establish a green marine fuel network during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), transitioning from one-time single-ship trials to establishing large-scale and normalized green marine fuel supply capabilities.
This network will include the simultaneous development of methanol, biofuels, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) and will cover various scenarios such as anchorage refueling and simultaneous refueling at the dock. Li stated that this approach ensures that international ships can refuel with clean energy upon arriving at the ports of the Guangdong Greater Bay Area, contributing to the establishment of a green transportation corridor.
Yu Yang, Deputy General Manager of the Port Management of Jinyang Guangzhou, emphasized that this operation allows us to obtain the capability for green methanol refueling services in multiple scenarios and for various types of vessels. Guangzhou Port can provide different options of clean energy, including LNG, green methanol, and biofuels for international ships, and offers multi-scenario refueling services including ship-to-ship refueling, dock refueling, and truck-to-ship refueling.
The methanol-powered ship operation will also help increase the efficiency of exporting domestically manufactured vehicles. According to local officials, from January to August, the value of vehicle exports from Guangzhou Port exceeded 20 billion yuan (approximately 2.99 billion dollars), showing an annual increase of nearly 60 percent. Yu added, "Since the beginning of this year, Guangzhou Port has experienced strong growth in vehicle exports, and the annual export volume is expected to reach the target of one million vehicles." The export volume on the Nansha-Europe route in the first nine months of this year has increased 2.4 times compared to the same period last year, indicating the continuous expansion of foreign transportation channels for domestic vehicles.
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