Construction of the project to produce 100,000 tons of green methanol annually kicked off at the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park on Jan 2.

Once completed by the end of December this year, it will represent a breakthrough in Shanghai's green methanol industry. Shanghai Port is poised to offer refueling services with the first locally produced green methanol, which is expected to provide a major boost to the international shipping center.

Methanol can be used as a fuel alternative to gasoline. When the raw materials are renewable and the carbon footprint meets certain requirements, methanol can be classified as green methanol. Currently, the proportion of green methanol in China is relatively low, and Shanghai previously lacked an industrial chain for the product.

The green methanol project aims to convert wet waste and animal manure into biomethane, which is then fed into the city's gas pipeline. The natural gas is subsequently extracted from the pipeline and transformed into green methanol for use by cruise and cargo ships.

Developing green methanol is an effective pathway for achieving carbon neutrality. Green methanol refueling capabilities are key to building the Shanghai Port Clean Energy Refueling Center.

In last April, Shanghai's Yangshan port conducted China's first ship-to-ship synchronous green methanol fueling for a large container vessel. On Jan 1 this year, the Hai Gang Zhi Yuan vessel completed a 3,000-ton methanol bunkering operation for the ship Anne Maersk at Yangshan Port, which signals the advent of regular methanol bunkering at the facility.

Green methanol requires carbon reduction throughout the entire process, including raw material acquisition, production, and refueling, and the closer the production of green methanol is to the port, the lower the carbon emissions from transportation will be.

Shanghai Port has ranked as the world's top port for container throughput for 15 consecutive years. The green methanol produced in Shanghai holds a significant competitive advantage in terms of carbon emissions and total costs compared with imported green methanol.

By 2030, the Shanghai Port aims to achieve the "double 100" goal, with liquefied natural gas fueling capacity reaching one million cubic meters and green methanol and biofuels fueling capacity reaching one million tonnes.

Source: Jiefang Daily