Tracking Green Hydrogen Projects: Zhanjiang Launches China's First Mass-Production Green Methanol Project, CIMC ENRIC Tackles Shipping Decarbonization Challenges

On December 16, CIMC ENRIC officially commissioned its first mass-produced bio-methanol (green methanol) project in Zhanjiang, Guangdong. CIMC Group President and CIMC ENRIC Chairman Gao Xiang, Zhanjiang Municipal Committee Secretary Yu Gang, SDIC Bio-Chemical General Manager He Fugang, along with global partners and industry experts, gathered at the commissioning ceremony to witness this milestone event promoting decarbonization in the shipping industry.

As one of China's earliest large-scale projects to achieve a closed-loop across the entire chain of "biomass waste - green methanol - shipping fuel," the commissioning of the Zhanjiang Green Methanol Project marks CIMC ENRIC's strategic extension from hydrogen energy to advanced liquid fuels in the clean energy sector, providing a practical and feasible deep decarbonization solution for the global shipping industry. The project's first phase has an annual production capacity of 50kt of green methanol, boasting advantages such as strong adaptability to raw materials, high degree of process integration, and significant carbon reduction effects. The product achieves a greenhouse gas reduction rate of over 85% throughout its life cycle, has passed EU ISCC EU certification and quantitative detection by the US Beta Laboratory for C14, enabling full-chain carbon traceability from "raw material to product."

It is understood that the global shipping industry accounts for 3% of total global carbon emissions. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set a clear goal for the shipping industry to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Policies such as the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) also impose higher requirements for the decarbonization of shipping fuels. The CIMC ENRIC Zhanjiang Project precisely addresses this global demand for emission reduction. Leveraging Zhanjiang's abundant agricultural and forestry waste resources, the project has achieved breakthroughs in key biomass gasification technologies through independent innovation, establishing a closed-loop industrial chain for the "high-value utilization of agricultural and forestry waste." This not only supports regional rural revitalization and the "Dual Carbon" goals but also provides green fuel that meets international standards for the shipping industry.

Capitalizing on Zhanjiang Port's geographical advantages and biomass resource endowment, the project has established South China's first green methanol "production-storage-transportation-application" supply chain ecosystem. It includes a 30,000 m³ methanol product storage tank and dedicated loading/unloading berths, achieving a one-hour closed loop for "production-storage-transportation." It has also built a "same-day delivery" bunkering network for ships in the Greater Bay Area, becoming the green methanol export point closest to international ports like Hong Kong and Singapore, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of fuel transportation. The project adopts an integrated model of "equipment + process + operation," with key core equipment being independently controllable. The high-quality turnkey construction was completed by CIMC ENRIC Engineering Technology Co., Ltd.

At the commissioning ceremony, representatives from renowned global green industry chain enterprises attended, including Maersk Group, CMA CGM Group, Germany's BASF Group, China Marine Bunker Co., Ltd., and Sinopec Fuel Oil Sales Co., Ltd. In his speech, Gao Xiang stated that the launch of the Zhanjiang Green Methanol Plant marks South China's emergence as a pivotal hub in the global green shipping sector. CIMC ENRIC will continue to supply green methanol that meets the highest international standards to markets such as Southeast Asia and Europe, collaborating with upstream and downstream partners to reshape the models and regulations of the clean fuel industry. Yang Xiaohu, Executive Director & President of CIMC ENRIC, pointed out that the completion and operation of the project have laid a solid foundation for the large-scale commercial application of biomass energy, offering a more efficient and economical new option for decarbonizing the shipping industry.

Representatives from enterprises such as Sinopec CNOOC Bunker Supply, Denmark's Bunker Holding, and industry media Argus also delivered speeches at the ceremony, jointly envisioning new prospects for the development of green shipping. As a significant breakthrough in the large-scale development of China's green methanol industry, the project is expected to inject strong momentum into the green fuel sector both in China and globally, leading the global shipping industry toward a new journey of zero-carbon and healthy development.