On September 30, 2023, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in China witnessed the simultaneous supply of three different types of marine fuels. This historic event marks the first time in China that three different marine fuels were supplied to various ships in one day at a port.
Details of the Fuel Supply Operation
The LNG supply vessel named "Haiyang Shiyou 302" supplied approximately 7,400 cubic meters (3,300 metric tons) of LNG in the Chuanshan port area. Additionally, the methanol supply vessel named "Zhongran Green Energy 85" supplied about 7,500 tons of methanol at the Mingshan terminal. Meanwhile, the vessel "CJ 21" also supplied around 3,000 tons of B24 biogas fuel blend at the Daxi terminal.
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Impacts and Consequences
These three fuel supply operations clearly demonstrate significant advancements in the capacity to supply alternative fuels at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. The Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration (Ningbo MSA) announced that the "one port, three supplies" model signifies a broad and diverse advancement in this field. The methanol supply operation also set a new record for the largest methanol supply operation in Zhejiang province.
Last month, several Chinese ports expanded their methanol supply activities. For example, on September 28, the supply vessel "Dacheng 268" belonging to Sinobunker supplied 300 tons of bio-methanol to the container ship "Carnation" owned by COSCO at the Nansha terminal in Guangzhou Port. This fuel was transferred through a ship-to-ship pipeline connection.
This operation followed a previous supply of about 1,000 tons of pure biological methanol by "Dacheng 268" to the dual-fuel cargo ship "Green Future" owned by the NYK Group at the Lantau anchorage in Guangzhou. These two supplies demonstrate the capability of Guangzhou Port to manage methanol supply at both terminals and anchorages.
The vessel "Dacheng 268" has also conducted methanol supply operations at terminals and anchorages in the Yantian port area in Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Ningbo. These advancements in marine fuel supply reflect China's willingness and ability to expand the use of alternative and sustainable fuels in the maritime industry.
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