Shanghai’s LNG bunkering surges in the first five months of 2025

SHANGHAI port saw bonded liquefied natural gas bunkering volumes grow sharply in 2025, reaching 319,000 cu m in the first five months of the year, a 60.9% year-on-year increase, according to data from Shanghai Customs.

On June 20, the 14,000 cu m LNG bunkering vessel Huaihe Nengyuan Qihang(IMO: 1020186) conducted China’s first-ever ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operation at Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry’s shipyard on Changxing Island, supplying 11,940.1 cu m of fuel to the 23,000 teu container ship CMA CGM Jacques Saade(IMO: 9839179) in just 12.5 hours.

The ultra-large container ship, delivered in September 2020 by Hudong Zhonghua Shipbuilding, was undergoing its first five-year special survey, a mandatory inspection for LNG-powered ships.

“LNG bunkering for ships undergoing repairs can improve turnaround efficiency and reduce costs,” Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry assistant general manager Yan Hao said in a press release. “It can save at least two days and cut charter costs by $200,000 to $300,000, and reduce downtime on the Shanghai–Europe route.”

Data from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight platform shows that 264 LNG vessel orders were placed in 2024, more than double that of 2023 which was 130 orders. As per regulatory requirements, LNG-fuelled vessels must undergo special periodic surveys every five years. As the earliest deliveries are now reaching this milestone, more LNG vessels are entering shipyards for inspection and maintenance. Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry’s Shanghai yard has taken in five such repair contracts this year.

To boost bunkering capacity, Shanghai International Port Group signed a contract with Jiangnan Shipyard on June 18 for a 20,000 cu m LNG bunkering vessel — the world’s largest — set to operate in Shanghai once delivered in the first half of 2027. Over 200 bonded LNG bunkering operations have been completed to date, and the new vessel will support SIPG’s strategy to develop a low-carbon, high-efficiency port ecosystem, according to SIPG Energy general manager Luo Wenbin.

Last year, Shanghai Customs reported 80 bonded bunkering operations, with total volumes reaching 462,000 cu m, up 75% from the previous year and more than the total for 2022 and 2023 combined.