Chongqing's First International Green Public Sea-Rail Intermodal Demonstration Route Opens, Hydrogen and Methanol Shipping Empower Cross-Border Low-Carbon Logistics

Recently, the Chongqing Municipal People's Government Port and Logistics Office, in collaboration with COSCO Shipping and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor Company, officially launched Chongqing's first international green road-sea intermodal demonstration route. The route departs from Chongqing, connects through Qinzhou Port in Guangxi to Yantian Port in Shenzhen, and finally arrives at the Port of Long Beach, Los Angeles, US. It innovatively adopts a "hydrogen-powered road transport + green maritime transport" model, reducing overall carbon emissions by over 30% compared to traditional routes, providing a benchmark case for deepening green logistics cooperation between China and Europe, the US, and ASEAN.

This demonstration transport commenced on December 13, 2025, from Chongqing and successfully arrived at the Port of Long Beach, Los Angeles, on January 25, 2026. For the Chongqing to Qinzhou Port segment, it relied on the "Hydrogen Corridor" of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, using hydrogen fuel cell heavy trucks with a load capacity of 49 mt and a driving range exceeding 500 kilometers. Stable operation was ensured through four refueling stops, achieving near-zero carbon emissions for the road transport segment. After the goods reached Qinzhou Port, they were transferred to Yantian Port, where the "COSCO Shipping Yangpu," the first domestically built methanol dual-fuel container ship, took over for long-distance transportation. This vessel, equipped with a domestically produced methanol dual-fuel main engine, can reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 120,000 mt per year, demonstrating significant green and low-carbon advantages. The success of this transport has accumulated key experience for expanding a green multimodal transport network towards ASEAN and globally.

As a significant milestone in the construction of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, the successful operation of this route not only represents an important exploration for Chongqing as a national pilot city for hydrogen energy but also provides solid practical support for China's participation and leadership in the formulation of international green logistics rules.

In the future, all parties involved in the project will continue to deepen cooperation with domestic and overseas ports, shipping enterprises, and certification institutions, optimize transport organization and carbon management mechanisms, and accelerate the construction of a green logistics corridor connecting China with Europe, the US, and ASEAN. This will help export enterprises cope with carbon tariff policies and contribute to the green transformation of the global supply chain with the strength of COSCO Shipping.