China’s green methanol bunkering network has expanded to Guangzhou Port for the first time, following the successful ship-to-ship supply of 1,021 tonnes of ISCC EU-certified green methanol to the methanol dual-fuel Ultramax bulk carrier Green Future.

The operation was completed on September 6 at Guangzhou’s Dayushan anchorage by Daqing 268, a methanol dual-fuel bunkering vessel operated by China Shipping & SINOPEC Suppliers Co., Ltd.

It marked Guangzhou Port’s first methanol STS bunkering operation and also China’s first green methanol bunkering for an international-trading bulk carrier.

The development extends China’s methanol bunkering capability beyond ports including Shanghai, Ningbo-Zhoushan, Shenzhen, Qingdao, Tianjin, Dalian and Yangpu, while adding another major supply point in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Methanol bunkering operations in China have so far been concentrated mainly on containerships and vehicle carriers. The latest operation broadens that coverage to the dry bulk sector, where vessels typically trade across a wider range of routes and ports and may require relatively large bunker volumes at individual calls.

The successful delivery of more than 1,000 tonnes shows that China’s methanol supply chain is increasingly capable of supporting ocean-going bulk carriers as more methanol-capable tonnage enters service.

Green Future is the world’s first methanol dual-fuel Ultramax bulk carrier. The 65,700-dwt vessel was delivered by Japan’s Tsuneishi Shipbuilding in 2025 and is owned by Kambara Kisen and chartered to NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers. The vessel can operate on both methanol and conventional marine fuel.

The 7,500-dwt Daqing 268 entered service in January 2026. The 109.9-metre vessel was purpose-built for methanol bunkering and is authorised to operate on routes connecting mainland China with Hong Kong and Macao.

Before the Guangzhou operation, Daqing 268 had already carried out first green methanol STS bunkering operations in Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Ningbo, giving its operator experience across different port jurisdictions.

With methanol bunkering operations now completed in Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Guangzhou, the Greater Bay Area is beginning to develop a broader alternative-fuel supply network across several major maritime gateways.

For international vessels trading through the Pearl River estuary, Guangzhou now provides another option for taking on low-carbon marine fuel and strengthens the region’s overall bunkering capability.

As more methanol dual-fuel vessels enter service globally, the focus for ports and bunker suppliers is increasingly shifting from individual demonstration projects towards reliable and repeatable commercial supply. Guangzhou’s first methanol bunkering operation adds another link to that network and extends China’s green methanol supply capability further into the international dry bulk sector.