Northeast China’s first large-scale batch of green methanol has been loaded for shipment through Dalian Port, marking another concrete step in the development of a green marine fuel supply chain linking inland renewable fuel production with major coastal bunkering markets.

On the morning of June 17, the vessel Yun Xiang 68 berthed at No. 14 berth of Dalian Port Bay Liquid Storage Terminal Co., Ltd. (VTD) and began loading green methanol. The cargo had been transported from the Taonan production base in Jilin Province to Dalian Port, where VTD completed storage, pipeline transfer and loading operations. The cargo will next be shipped to Shanghai Port and used as marine fuel.

The operation shows that the logistics chain for green methanol in Northeast China is moving from production and demonstration to commercial transport and maritime fuel application. For Dalian Port, it also marks further progress in its ambition to become a green methanol storage, transit and bunkering hub for Northeast Asia.

Green methanol is widely seen as one of the more practical alternative fuels for the shipping industry’s decarbonisation pathway. Compared with conventional marine fuels, green methanol has the potential to reduce lifecycle carbon emissions, while its liquid form makes it more compatible with existing fuel storage, handling and transport systems. As major shipping companies including CMA CGM, Maersk, COSCO Shipping and Hapag-Lloyd continue to develop methanol dual-fuel fleets, the ability to produce, certify, store, transport and bunker green methanol is becoming a new area of competition for ports.

The green methanol loaded in Dalian was produced by Shanghai Electric’s Taonan wind power and biomass-coupled green methanol integrated demonstration project. The project is located in western Jilin Province and uses local wind resources and agricultural and forestry waste to produce green methanol through a combination of wind power-based hydrogen production and biomass conversion. Shanghai Electric has described the Taonan project as an important part of its hydrogen-based green fuel strategy, with core technologies and equipment developed and manufactured by the company itself.

On March 20, 2025, Shanghai Electric Group, CMA CGM Group and Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) formally signed a long-term framework agreement in Shanghai for the supply, transport and bunkering of green methanol. Under the agreement, Shanghai Electric will rely on the Taonan project to provide medium- and long-term green methanol supply to CMA CGM, while SIPG will help transport the fuel from Taonan to Shanghai Port through a land-sea logistics route and complete bunkering operations at the port. The agreement effectively creates a closed-loop model covering production, transport and bunkering.

On July 15, 2025, the Taonan project held its commissioning ceremony, with the first batch of green methanol successfully produced. Public information shows that the first phase of the project has an annual production capacity of 50,000 tonnes of biomass-based green methanol, which will be supplied exclusively to CMA CGM under the relevant agreement. Shanghai Electric said at the time that the green methanol would be transported to Shanghai Port and then supplied to CMA CGM’s containerships as marine fuel for international voyages.

Dalian Port’s role in this shipment goes beyond a single loading operation. Northeast China has abundant wind, solar and biomass resources, giving the region a strong foundation for developing green hydrogen-based fuels. However, for green methanol to enter the international shipping fuel market, it needs port nodes with professional liquid chemical storage and transfer capabilities, certification systems and customs and port service functions. Dalian is positioned between Northeast China’s inland green fuel production base and coastal marine fuel consumption markets, giving it a natural role in supporting a “north-to-south green methanol” logistics corridor.

VTD is a liquid chemical storage and transshipment terminal company under Liaoning Port Group. It is also an important bulk liquid chemical storage terminal in the Dalian region. In recent years, the company has accelerated its move into green marine fuels. In 2024, VTD obtained ISCC EU certification for green methanol storage at the port and began upgrading its terminal, storage tanks and pipeline systems to support larger-scale green methanol storage and transfer operations.

Since 2025, Dalian Port has made faster progress in green methanol-related business. In July 2025, VTD completed Northeast China’s first bonded green methanol storage and loading operation for marine bunkering, filling a regional gap. In September 2025, the company reached a long-term green methanol storage cooperation agreement with SIPG Energy. In November 2025, the first batch of trial-produced green methanol was successfully received into storage. The latest loading operation by Yun Xiang 68 further tested Dalian Port’s capabilities across truck delivery, tank unloading, storage, pipeline transfer and vessel loading.

During the operation, VTD coordinated key links including vehicle arrival, vessel berthing, tank inspection, pipeline purging and cargo loading. The terminal maintained close communication with SIPG Energy and monitored core facilities including storage tanks and transfer pipelines throughout the process to ensure safe and stable handling.

In the broader shipping context, Dalian Port’s value lies in connecting Northeast China’s green fuel production capacity with the global marine fuel supply chain. In the past, many green methanol projects remained largely at the production or demonstration stage. With Dalian Port now completing storage, loading and export operations, Northeast China’s green methanol is beginning to form a clearer commercial pathway. This is significant for green methanol producers, port operators, marine fuel suppliers and shipping companies.

For Northeast China, the shipment helps turn local wind power, biomass and other resources into higher-value green fuel products. For Shanghai Port, stable upstream green methanol supply will support its development as an international green marine fuel bunkering hub. For Dalian Port, participation in this supply chain means that its role is expanding from traditional handling and storage to green fuel transit, storage and, potentially, future bunkering services.

Liaoning Port Group said it will continue to leverage its integrated operating advantages, improve port service capabilities, expand comprehensive port functions and accelerate the development of a Northeast Asian green marine fuel storage, transit and bunkering centre.

As more methanol-fuelled vessels enter service, shipping companies will need green fuels that are certified, traceable and reliably deliverable. Dalian Port’s handling of Northeast China’s first large-scale green methanol shipment suggests that China’s green marine fuel supply chain is entering a new phase, moving from project construction to logistics execution and real-world application. Dalian is now taking on a clearer role in China’s green fuel map: connecting the renewable energy hinterland of Northeast China with Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and other major maritime fuel consumption ports, while building the foundations to become an important green methanol storage and bunkering hub in Northeast Asia.