China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone on Tuesday (30 June) said it has completed the province’s first ship-to-ship (STS) methanol bunkering operation at a shipyard, marking a new milestone in Zhoushan’s efforts to expand its portfolio of alternative marine fuel bunkering services.

The operation took place recently at Qingshan West Berth No. 2 of Tsuneishi Group (Zhoushan) Shipbuilding, where Zhejiang Free Trade Zone PetroChina Fuel Oil’s bunker tanker JIA CHEN 17 supplied 795 metric tonnes (mt) of methanol to the newly built 5,900 TEU methanol dual-fuel container vessel MAERSK FLINDERS.

The bunkering operation was completed in approximately 5.5 hours, making it significantly more efficient than truck-to-ship methanol bunkering, which authorities said would have taken around nine times longer to deliver the same volume

According to local authorities, the operation is the first of its kind at a shipyard berth in Zhejiang Province, filling a gap in on-site bunkering capabilities for shipbuilding and repair yards. Zhoushan has previously conducted truck-to-ship methanol bunkering, truck- and ship-to-ship LNG bunkering, and blended biofuel bunkering operations.

The demonstration project forms part of Zhejiang’s strategy to develop green marine fuel bunkering under the China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone Bulk Commodity Resource Allocation Hub Development Plan, which calls for pilot bunkering of alternative fuels including green methanol, liquid hydrogen and ammonia.

Earlier this year, the China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone‘s Zhoushan Administrative Committee identified three priority projects: the world’s first anchorage ammonia bunkering operation, Zhejiang’s first shipyard-based STS methanol bunkering operation, and simultaneous LNG bunkering alongside cargo operations at Yongzhou Terminal, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port.

Authorities said the shipyard-based STS model offers operational advantages over both ship-to-ship and anchorage STS bunkering. In addition to reducing inter-island transport and lowering overall costs, conducting the operation alongside at the shipyard minimises weather-related disruptions and improves operational safety and schedule certainty.

Photo credit: China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone
Published: 2 July, 2026

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) on Tuesday (30 June) said it signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Shenzhen Port Group on 29 June in Shenzhen, China.

The two parties engaged in in-depth discussions on strengthening collaboration across key sectors and jointly advancing the development of green shipping corridors.

Under the agreement, both parties will leverage their respective strengths and resources to deepen collaboration focused on the development of green shipping corridors and related businesses. Through resource sharing and complementary capabilities, they will jointly develop green shipping projects to deliver replicable and scalable outcomes.

Bureau Veritas will provide professional technical support to Shenzhen Port Group and industry players at large, helping them navigate evolving maritime regulatory policies and translate emerging international rules into practical, implementable measures to align domestic and global industry standards.

Backed by its comprehensive global business footprint, BV offers end-to-end testing, inspection and certification services covering the entire green fuel industrial chain, spanning renewable energy production to bunkering infrastructure for marine fuels. It has also built extensive hands-on experience in numerous domestic green fuel projects.

Alex Gregg-Smith, President of Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, said: Global decarbonization of the shipping industry requires concerted efforts and in-depth collaboration across the entire industrial value chain. 

“As a world-class port conglomerate, Shenzhen Port Group boasts strengths that are highly complementary to Bureau Veritas’s expertise in technical services and standard-setting. Deepening our partnership is of great significance for the green transition of the shipping sector. We hope this collaboration will serve as a catalyst to align domestic and international standards and jointly develop viable pathways for low-carbon maritime trade.”

Hu Zhaoyang, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Board at Shenzhen Port Group, stated: “Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore is a globally recognized authoritative body in the maritime sector, with a wealth of decarbonization solutions and practical experience for the global shipping industry. Its vision aligns perfectly with Shenzhen Port Group’s green development strategy. 

“Building on this agreement, we will further expand all-round cooperation across relevant fields, and maximize the combined value of Shenzhen Port Group’s diverse industrial application scenarios and BV’s authoritative technical certification capabilities to achieve mutual benefit through complementary strengths.”

Photo credit: Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore
Published: 2 July, 2026

MarineFifty, the global investment business focused on maritime decarbonisation, on Wednesday (1 July) announced their intention to invest in Danish fueltech company Kvasir Technologies (Kvasir).

This follows the initial Series A financing round, announced by Kvasir on 18 June 2026, in which they raised EUR 10 million from a mix of existing and new investors. 

Subject to contract, MarineFifty intends to invest up to EUR 11 million as part of Kvasir’s Series A financing round, enabling the company to move from successful /demonstration plant operations to FID of a plant with commercial scale production.

Kvasir has developed a proprietary process that converts abundant, non-edible biomass into a high-quality bio-oil — a drop-in replacement for fossil HFO (Heavy Fuel Oil) that works with existing ship engines. By enabling shipowners to change fuel rather than engine, the technology offers a practical, scalable path to decarbonising one of the world’s hardest-to-abate sectors.

The investment reflects MarineFifty’s strategy of backing the breakthrough technologies, fuels and infrastructure that the shipping industry needs to reach net zero. An estimated 60 to 70% of the sector’s emissions reductions must come from exactly these kinds of innovations, and MarineFifty aims to provide not only capital but the technical conviction and partnership to help them reach commercial scale.

“Many of the technologies that will decarbonise shipping have already been invented. At MarineFifty, our mission is to find them, back them, and get them to scale in time to make a difference,” said Krishnan Narayanan, Chairman of MarineFifty. 

“Kvasir is exactly that kind of breakthrough – a scalable, drop-in solution that meets shipping where it is today, while pointing to a fossil-free future.”

“This investment is a strong endorsement of the technology our team has built and the path ahead of us,” said Dr. Joachim B. Nielsen, CEO and Co-Founder of Kvasir Technologies. 

“MarineFifty brings deep sector knowledge and a shared sense of urgency about decarbonising shipping. Their support helps us move faster towards commercial-scale production and towards delivering a genuine, sustainable alternative to fossil oil.”

Photo credit: Kvasir Technologies
Published: 2 July, 2026