Global logistics leader CMA CGM, in collaboration with SIPG Energy and Shanghai Electric Group Company Limited, has successfully completed the bunkering of 8,016 tonnes of biomass methanol for the CMA CGM Osmeum vessel at Shanghai Port. The vessel, a 13,000-TEU dual-fuel container ship powered by biomass methanol, currently operates on the M2X route connecting Asia and Mexico. The bunkering ceremony took place recently at Yangshan Port in Shanghai, where key partners gathered to witness and celebrate this significant milestone in low-carbon shipping development.
The fueling operation was executed by the bunkering vessel “Haigang Zhiyuan,” operated by SIPG Energy, shattering the previous world record of 3,643 tonnes set by the same vessel earlier this year. This achievement marks a new global benchmark for single-operation biomass methanol bunkering volumes.
CMA CGM stated that, guided by its ambitious goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the company is advancing its energy transition strategy through a diversified portfolio of technological solutions. To support this objective, CMA CGM is investing heavily in vessels powered by liquefied natural gas, biomethane, and biomass methanol. Currently operating one of the world’s largest dual-fuel fleets, the company plans to deploy 200 low-carbon-fuel-capable vessels by 2031, accelerating the decarbonization of maritime transport.
SIPG Energy, leveraging its port operational capabilities, provided safe and efficient marine fuel bunkering services, while Shanghai Electric Group Company Limited supplied domestically produced biomass methanol from its Taonan production base. With strong support from port regulatory authorities and close coordination among all parties, the operation was completed safely, smoothly, and efficiently, further elevating Shanghai Port’s capability in large-scale biomass methanol supply and bunkering services.
Most of the biomass methanol used in this operation was produced at Shanghai Electric Group Company Limited’s Taonan biomass methanol project in Jilin Province. The fuel was transported from Taonan to Dalian Port for consolidation, transshipment, and storage, then shipped by sea to Shanghai, where the final bunkering took place. By connecting the biomass methanol production base in Northeast China with Shanghai’s international shipping hub, this record-breaking operation further strengthened China’s coordination capabilities across production, storage, transportation, and bunkering. It provides green fuel services for shipping companies.
This collaboration marks a significant step forward in CMA CGM’s decarbonization journey and injects momentum into accelerating the energy transition of the shipping industry. The entire process originated from the “Long-Term Biomass Methanol Supply Cooperation Agreement” officially signed by CMA CGM, SIPG Energy, and Shanghai Electric Group Company Limited on March 20, 2025, aimed at jointly building a complete integrated biomass methanol value chain. This milestone combines CMA CGM’s global low-carbon shipping ambitions with the industrial capabilities and port infrastructure advantages of its Chinese partners, fully demonstrating how cross-industry collaboration can provide scalable alternative marine energy solutions for the global energy transition.
This major breakthrough also provides strong support for Shanghai Port’s development into an internationally leading low-carbon fuel bunkering hub, consolidating its pioneering role in the shipping industry’s decarbonization process and further solidifying Shanghai’s position as a world-class sustainable maritime trade center.
“This achievement is an important milestone in CMA CGM’s efforts to advance shipping decarbonization. It not only sets a new global record for biomass methanol bunkering but also demonstrates that through close collaboration across the industry chain, the large-scale application of alternative marine fuels is gradually becoming a reality. CMA CGM will continue to work with Chinese partners to accelerate the development and application of sustainable fuel solutions, jointly driving the long-term green transformation of the global shipping industry,” said Christine Cabau, Executive Vice President of CMA CGM.
“This domestically produced biomass methanol bunkering is not just a breakthrough in refueling volume; it is also an important reflection of the enhanced comprehensive service capability of Shanghai Port’s green fuel bunkering. By continuously improving the organization of domestic biomass methanol resources and bunkering capabilities, we are accelerating the transition of green ship fuel supply from single demonstrations to large-scale, routine services. SIPG Energy will continue to work with CMA CGM and industry chain partners to further streamline the biomass methanol supply chain, providing shipping companies with safer, more efficient, and more stable green fuel services, and contributing to the green and low-carbon development of Shanghai International Shipping Center,” said Zhang Da, General Manager of SIPG Energy.