China plans to turn Shanghai into an alternative-fuel bunkering destination

Under the blueprint, Shanghai Port aims to achieve an LNG bunkering capacity of 1 million cubic meters and reach 1 million tons in methanol and biofuel bunkering by 2030.

Key infrastructure developments will focus on green fuel production, storage, transport, and bunkering in strategic areas such as chemical industrial parks, Hengsha Island, the Yangtze River estuary, and Yangshan Port.

The plan also promotes coordinated deployment of bunkering ships, shore stations, and tank trucks to establish a one-stop service system, with innovations such as nighttime bunkering under consideration.

To support these goals, the plan outlines seven focus areas, including supply chains, service models, international standards, safety, and regulatory frameworks. Measures include streamlining regulations for cross-customs and cross-port bunkering operations and enabling blending of biofuel with conventional bunker fuel within bonded zones.

To remind, in 2024, the city’s government had set a target to supply over 1 million tons of low-carbon bunkering fuel annually by 2030. Shanghai’s strategy had then also included leveraging its advancements in renewable energy, particularly wind power, as well as integrating carbon capture technology to produce green ammonia and methanol.

Shanghai also intends to develop carbon footprint accounting standards for marine fuels, creating a globally recognized framework for sustainable shipping.