In China on August 18, Wuhu Changneng Logistics signed a methanol-powered vessel charter with Shaoxing Blue City Pilot Transport. The two companies will serve China Energy’s Lujiang coal plant via a newly established inland waterway route designated as a zero-carbon demonstration line.
Blue City will build and manage an 1,800-deadweight-ton methanol-fueled ship, while Changneng will lease and operate it. The vessel is expected to be delivered in early 2026 following a four-month construction period.
Methanol’s cleaner burn cuts sulfur, nitrogen oxides, and particulate emissions, offering measurable relief for riverside air quality. While ocean-going trials have captured attention, the inland sector’s transformation has lagged. This deal plants a flag.
The cooperation reflects regulatory and commercial momentum behind lower-emission fuels. Shandong completed its first methanol bunkering days earlier, and Changneng’s move adds to early activity in the Yangtze River basin. Lujiang’s power plant will be supplied with coal using the new vessel, with both partners citing emissions reduction and logistics efficiency as drivers for the project.
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Category: Sustainable Marine Fuels
