This week, the signals in the green marine fuels sector are relatively clear: on one side, green methanol is moving beyond one-off demonstration bunkerings and into actual liner deployment; on the other, green ammonia, ammonia-to-hydrogen cracking and methanol/ammonia-ready vessels continue to advance — even as the industry as a whole remains cautious about investing in new-fuel tonnage.
1. OOCL completes green methanol bunkering on its first methanol dual-fuel container ship
On 3 July, Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) announced that its first methanol dual-fuel container ship, "OOCL Wisdom," completed its first green methanol bunkering at the Port of Qingdao and began its maiden voyage. With a maximum capacity of 24,168 TEU, OOCL Wisdom is the first of seven methanol dual-fuel container ships in the series and will be deployed on the Asia–Northern Europe LL1 service.
The operation was a ship-to-ship bunkering, with OOCL Wisdom taking approximately 1,500 tonnes of green methanol at Qingdao before continuing to Northern Europe.
Commentary: Chinese ports are steadily building a more complete picture around real green methanol supply, ship-to-ship bunkering operations and connection with deep-sea mainline services. For green methanol, the decisive question is not any single bunkering event, but whether it can underpin stable services, reliable supply and traceable low-carbon attributes.
2. ACME and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical sign long-term green methanol offtake agreement
On 2 July, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical (MGC) and India's ACME Group signed a purchase and sale agreement for green methanol. According to MGC's announcement, the green methanol will be produced by ACME's project under development in Odisha, India, with commercial operations planned to start in 2030; MGC will then purchase approximately 100,000 tonnes of green methanol per year.
MGC noted that the project's green methanol can be used in both fuel and chemical applications, serving Japan and the wider Asian market. ACME stated that green methanol is emerging as an important decarbonisation option for hard-to-abate sectors such as shipping and chemicals.
Commentary: The deal illustrates two trends in the green methanol supply chain: India is entering international markets through "green molecules" such as green hydrogen, green ammonia and green methanol, while Japanese companies are moving early to secure Asian green fuel resources.
3. Norway completes ammonia-to-hydrogen cracking tests, reinforcing ammonia's role as a hydrogen carrier
On 3 July, Höegh Evi and Nord Gas Solutions announced the completion of performance testing on an ammonia-to-hydrogen cracking unit at the Sustainable Energy pilot facility in Stord, Norway. The unit can convert ammonia into hydrogen with a purity of more than 99.5% and is modular in design, suitable for both floating terminals and onshore applications.
Höegh Evi is developing floating terminals with the goal of delivering up to 200,000 tonnes per year of industrial-scale hydrogen supply. Reports also note that European ports are becoming important gateways for receiving ammonia and converting it into hydrogen.
Commentary: Ammonia can serve both as a future marine fuel and as a long-distance hydrogen carrier. If ammonia import, storage, cracking and terminal supply models mature, they will help underpin scaled deployment of green hydrogen-based fuels in ports and industrial settings.
4. Methanol/ammonia-ready vessels keep being delivered, but remain in "future-fuel option" mode
This week, ONE's "ONE Solidarity" completed its maiden voyage and called at Shekou, China. The vessel is part of ONE's S-series methanol- and ammonia-ready container ships, with a deadweight of around 160,200 DWT, and will be deployed on the Mediterranean–South Pacific MS2 service.
In addition, Grimaldi this week presented its ammonia-ready car carrier "Grande Istanbul." The vessel is one of Grimaldi's 17 new-generation ammonia-ready PCTCs, already deployed on the EuroMed service and equipped with shore-power connection capability, with the option to be converted to run on ammonia as a zero-carbon alternative fuel in the future.
Commentary: The continued delivery of methanol/ammonia-ready ships shows that owners are still preserving optionality for a future fuel switch. But "ready" does not mean the vessel is actually running on green fuels — real-world uptake still depends on fuel availability, price, regulatory incentives, safety rules and port infrastructure.
5. IMO to hold technical seminar on ammonia as marine fuel, with safety and operations still the priority
The IMO has released details of a technical seminar on the use of ammonia as marine fuel, scheduled for 17 September 2026 at IMO headquarters in London and online. The seminar will cover ammonia fuel production pathways, supply outlook, bunkering infrastructure, on-board applications, engine technology, leak response, safety issues and ammonia emissions management.
Commentary: Ammonia is regarded as one of the important zero-carbon fuels for the medium to long term, but its toxicity, leak response, on-board operations, exhaust emissions and crew training still need to be resolved before commercialisation. The IMO's continued technical seminars underline that the rulebook, operating experience and safety systems for ammonia fuel are still developing.
6. DNV data: alternative-fuel vessel orders slow, LNG remains dominant
DNV's Alternative Fuels Insight platform reports that 137 alternative-fuel ships were ordered globally in the first half of 2026, down from 155 in the same period of 2025 — a year-on-year decline of 11.6%. Of these, 73 were LNG-fuelled ships, accounting for more than half of the total; 55 were LPG/ethane-fuelled; the remainder comprised 2 methanol, 2 ethanol, 4 ammonia and 1 hydrogen.
On the delivery side, however, progress continued: 61 LNG-fuelled vessels and 38 methanol-fuelled vessels were delivered in H1 2026. DNV noted that the alternative-fuel vessel market is progressing at different speeds, with owners choosing different paths depending on fuel availability, regulation and segment-specific economics.
Commentary: The green fuel transition in shipping is not a single-track, rapid replacement of conventional fuels. It is a "multi-fuel in parallel" landscape, with different vessel types diverging, transitional fuels dominating in the short term, and long-term zero-carbon fuels still being tested. Green methanol has achieved real operational breakthroughs, while green ammonia is still working through infrastructure, ship design and safety rules.
Closing note
Tecway Maritime continues to follow the development of green hydrogen and its derivative fuels in shipping and the broader energy transition, and works with clients on green fuel sourcing, project cooperation and use-case assessment. If you are tracking green hydrogen, green methanol or green ammonia, or would like to explore project cooperation opportunities, we welcome the conversation.
References
- OOCL: OOCL Wisdom Completes First Green Methanol Bunkering and Commences Maiden Voyage at Qingdao Port
- ENGINE: OOCL vessel receives first green methanol stem in Qingdao
- Mitsubishi Gas Chemical: Mitsubishi Gas Chemical and ACME Group Sign Agreement for the Purchase and Sale of Green Methanol
- Bunker Index: Höegh Evi and Nord Gas Solutions complete ammonia-to-hydrogen cracking tests in Norway
- Bunker Index: Ocean Network Express deploys methanol- and ammonia-ready vessel
- Bunker Index: Grimaldi presents ammonia-ready car carrier Grande Istanbul at Turkish port ceremony
- IMO: Technical Seminar on the use of ammonia as marine fuel
- Manifold Times: DNV: Alternative-fuelled vessel orders down 11.6% in H1 2026