Clean energy equipment and services provider CIMC Enric on Monday (17 August) said it has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Sinopec Fuel Oil Sales Co Ltd, covering LNG, green methanol, shipbuilding and new energy for marine applications.

Under the new agreement, the companies will deepen cooperation across the LNG value chain and develop bunkering solutions including truck-to-ship bunkering services. They also plan to expand into emerging marine fuels and energy solutions, including green methanol and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The partnership will focus on five areas: energy-resource cooperation, shipbuilding, marine-fuel bunkering, vehicle-related services and integrated services.

The agreement was signed in Shenzhen on 14 August by Yang Xiaohu, executive director and president of CIMC Enric, and Xu Tao, deputy general manager and Party committee member of Sinopec Fuel Oil.

The cooperation will span commercial implementation, industry development and technology innovation.

The partnership comes as the shipping industry accelerates its transition towards lower-carbon fuels amid tightening International Maritime Organization emissions regulations and China’s carbon-reduction goals.

CIMC Enric specialises in equipment for the clean-energy sector, while Sinopec Fuel Oil leverages the resource and supply network of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec). Both said their complementary capabilities provide a basis for moving beyond a conventional equipment-supply relationship towards broader cooperation integrating equipment, fuels, applications and technology.

The two companies began working together in October 2022, initially focusing on LNG and CNG storage and transportation equipment. Their cooperation has since expanded into marine equipment, green methanol bunkering, storage and transportation equipment, and external gas-source procurement.

The companies said they will establish a regular cooperation mechanism and develop detailed projects to accelerate implementation. The partnership is intended to strengthen collaboration between energy-equipment and energy-supply companies and support the maritime industry’s transition towards lower-carbon fuels.

Photo credit: CIMC Enric
Published: 21 August, 2026

Bunker supplier Avenir LNG on Wednesday (19 August) said its bunkering vessel Avenir Advantage has completed its first LNG bunkering delivery to Royal Caribbean Group’s cruise ship, Icon of the Seas in Honduras, marking a milestone for the company’s LNG supply operations in the Caribbean.

The company said the operation supports the cruise industry’s transition towards lower-emission marine fuels while demonstrating the flexibility of small-scale LNG infrastructure in the region.

Avenir LNG thanked Axpo Group, the vessel’s crew, shore teams, port stakeholders and other partners involved in the operation.

The company added that it aims to support further safe and reliable LNG deliveries in the future. 

Photo credit: Avenir LNG
Published: 20 August, 2026

Industry coalition SEA-LNG on Tuesday (18 August) announced the membership of Amazónica LNG, a Colombian LNG import, storage and regasification company developing bunkering-ready infrastructure on the country’s Caribbean coast.

Amazónica LNG is a joint venture between port logistics specialist Retramar and private equity investor Affinity Energy. The company operates the Palermo LNG terminal in Sitio Nuevo, Magdalena, on Colombia’s Caribbean coast near Barranquilla, combining a floating storage unit with regasification and small-scale LNG distribution capability.

Cartagena and Barranquilla have a focus on cargo and cruise activity along Colombia’s Caribbean coast. In 2025, CONTECAR and the Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Cartagena together handled over 4 million TEUs of containerised cargo. This is around 63% of all containerised cargo handled by Colombia’s public-service port companies.

The Cartagena Cruise Terminal serves 34 cruise lines, while the Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Barranquilla handled approximately 3.5 million tonnes of cargo in 2025. Together, these showcase the scale of maritime activity that will support the development of LNG bunkering infrastructure in the Colombian Caribbean.

Within this context, LNG offers an immediate route to decarbonisation that is available today, helping the maritime value chain reduce greenhouse gas and local air emissions. It also gives the sector a pathway to meet increasingly demanding international decarbonisation requirements over time, as compatible vessels and infrastructure enable the shift to liquefied biomethane and e-methane.

Alberto Consuegra, CEO of Amazónica LNG, said: “The opportunity for Amazónica LNG is focused firmly on unlocking LNG as a practical transition fuel for the region. We make this possible by further advancing shipping decarbonisation as Cartagena and the Colombian Caribbean establish themselves as a future-ready bunkering hub serving Latin America and the wider Caribbean. Joining SEA-LNG will help us expand our network and join a coalition of first movers who are dedicated to advancing the methane decarbonisation pathway.”

Steve Esau, COO of SEA-LNG, added: “Amazónica LNG’s membership extends SEA-LNG’s reach into Latin America at a pivotal moment, growing the infrastructure which is critical for methane’s global adoption. As decarbonisation requirements tighten across international shipping, Amazónica LNG’s infrastructure on Colombia’s Caribbean coast will accelerate the adoption of the methane pathway.”

LNG bunkering infrastructure continues to expand rapidly worldwide, with LNG now available at more than 220 ports globally, and LNG-fuelled vessels accounting for almost 90% of all alternative-fuel ships currently on order. 

Amazónica LNG’s membership adds Latin American port and terminal expertise to a coalition dedicated to the growth of global methane marine fuel value chain spanning owners, ports, fuel producers, OEMs, insurers, classification societies that enables the transition to sustainable shipping.

Photo credit: Amazónica LNG
Published: 19 August, 2026