The main themes in green marine fuels this week are relatively clear: green methanol is moving from one-off demonstration bunkerings toward larger, higher-frequency port operations; at the same time, although ammonia is still not in widespread commercial use, activity around bunkering networks, ammonia-ready ship designs and safety management frameworks is accelerating.
1. Hong Kong completes its largest single green methanol bunkering, with a 1,000-tonne stem
According to Ship&Bunker and other industry outlets, Venture Energy and Sinopec Hong Kong have completed Hong Kong's largest single green methanol bunkering to date. The operation was performed by the bunker vessel "Daqing 268," managed by Wah Kwong Shipping, which delivered approximately 1,000 tonnes of green methanol to "CM Shenzhen," a ro-ro vessel operated by China Merchants Roll-On/Roll-Off Shipping (Guangzhou). The fuel was supplied by Shanghai Shen Ji Energy & Environment Technology, part of Shanghai SUS Group.
Commentary: Hong Kong is progressing from a first demonstration lift of green methanol toward larger-scale commercial bunkering operations. For green methanol, whether a port can build a stable capability across receipt, storage, bunkering and compliance certification will directly determine how usable the fuel is in real deep-sea shipping. This latest operation also shows that the green marine fuel supply chain in the Greater Bay Area is moving from concept to concrete commercial activity.
2. ITOCHU and Peninsula establish a European ammonia bunkering joint venture
On 8 July, ITOCHU Corporation announced the joint establishment of I&P Marine Ammonia Ltd. (IPMA) with global bunker supplier Peninsula. The venture will focus on marine ammonia bunkering at major European ports, with initial target hubs including Algeciras, Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges.
In its own announcement, Peninsula noted that IPMA will focus on ammonia supply at key European ports, combining Peninsula's global bunkering network across more than 500 ports with ITOCHU's capabilities in fuel production and supply chain management to build a more reliable, scalable framework for ammonia bunkering.
Commentary: Ammonia still faces safety, regulatory and cost hurdles before widespread commercial use, but bunkering network development is already being put in place well ahead of demand. For shipowners, the real precondition for ammonia-ready vessels being able to operate on ammonia in the future is not just single-ship technical readiness — it is fuel availability, port infrastructure, operating procedures and risk management at the port end. The formation of IPMA underlines that European and Mediterranean ports are becoming a key battleground for ammonia bunkering infrastructure.
3. Wallenius Wilhelmsen takes delivery of its first methanol-ready car carrier
On 9 July, Wallenius Wilhelmsen announced the delivery of "Arctic Tern," the first vessel in its Shaper Class series. The ship is dual-fuel capable with a methanol-ready design, and will soon enter service on the Asia–Europe trade, deployed by EUKOR Car Carriers.
Commentary: Car carriers are one of the more active segments in alternative-fuel newbuild activity. The significance of Arctic Tern is that the green fuel transition is no longer concentrated only in large container vessels — it is now steadily moving into other segments such as car carriers.
4. COSCO SHIPPING takes delivery of methanol-ready bulk carrier "Feng Da Hai"
On 7 July, COSCO SHIPPING took delivery of "Feng Da Hai," a 64,000 DWT bulk carrier. Primarily intended for dry-bulk trades such as grain and coal, the vessel is designed with provisions to be converted to methanol propulsion in the future.
Commentary: Bulk carrier trades are dispersed and touch many ports, which typically makes alternative-fuel uptake harder than on container mainline services. In that context, "Feng Da Hai" and other methanol-ready bulkers reflect owners' desire to preserve optionality for future regulation and fuel switching. In the short term, this does not necessarily mean green methanol is being used at scale in dry bulk; but over the longer term, more newbuild bulkers being ordered as methanol-ready shows that the green fuel transition is broadening across more ship types.
5. MTF publishes safety management guidelines for methanol-fuelled ships
The Maritime Technologies Forum (MTF) has recently published *Guidelines for Developing and Implementing a Safety Management System for Methanol-Fuelled Ships*, aimed at helping shipping companies build or strengthen safety management systems for methanol-fuelled tonnage. According to MTF, the guidelines were published on 3 July 2026.
According to SAFETY4SEA, the document focuses on the specific risks of methanol as a marine fuel — including toxicity, low flash point, and the fact that its vapour and flames can be hard to detect — and recommends that shipping companies strengthen risk identification, operating procedures, and incident and near-miss feedback mechanisms within their safety management systems.
Commentary: Green fuel deployment does not depend only on supply and orderbook decisions; it also depends on whether safety management keeps pace. Compared with ammonia, methanol is closer to commercial use, but its fuel characteristics still require crew training, bunkering procedures, emergency response and management systems to be upgraded in step. As the number of methanol dual-fuel and methanol-ready vessels grows, safety guidelines and operational standards will become increasingly important.
Closing note
Rather than "which fuel will ultimately win," the more pressing questions for the industry today are: whether ships are equipped to switch fuel in the future, whether ports can bunker safely, and whether fuel producers can deliver a stable, financeable and traceable supply chain.
Tecway Maritime continues to follow green hydrogen and its derivative fuels in shipping and the wider 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
1. Ship&Bunker — Hong Kong Sees Record Green Methanol Bunkering Operation
2. ITOCHU Corporation — ITOCHU Announces Joint Establishment of Marine Fuel Ammonia Bunkering Company in Europe Together with Peninsula
3. Peninsula — Peninsula and ITOCHU Establish Joint Venture to Advance Ammonia Bunkering in Europe
4. Wallenius Wilhelmsen — Wallenius Wilhelmsen Takes Delivery of First Shaper Class Vessel, Marking a New Chapter in Sustainable Shipping
5. Ship&Bunker — COSCO Shipping Takes Delivery of Methanol-Ready Bulk Carrier