上海内河航行船舶完成生物质甲醇船用燃料首次加注Inland waterway vessels in Shanghai complete the first refueling with biomass methanol marine fuel

On October 15, the first fueling ceremony of biomass methanol ship fuel for Shanghai inland waterway vessels under the initiative "First Refill Inland River • Green Start on the Huangpu River" was held at the Luodong Container Terminal of Shanghai Port. The green methanol used for this fueling was produced using the 'Direct Full-Carbon Oriented Conversion of Biogas to Green Methanol Technology,' jointly developed by East China University of Science and Technology and its partner units.

This event marks that the original achievement has smoothly realized a demonstration application of ship fuel refueling based on pilot-scale verification at the thousand-ton level, bringing biomass methanol from the laboratory and pilot-scale devices to practical refueling in inland waterway navigation.

Supported by a special project of the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission and relying on the National Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Low Carbon Technology, the research team led by Chair Professor and European Academy of Sciences member Chen De of East China University of Science and Technology, in collaboration with Shanghai Fuje Technology, Shanghai Chengtou, Sinopec Shanghai Engineering Company, and Shanghai Port Energy, proposed an original new route for the direct full-carbon oriented conversion of methane and carbon dioxide in biogas into green methanol. With a carbon utilization rate close to 100%, this opens up a completely new path for the resource utilization of urban organic waste and the supply of green fuel for shipping.

The traditional biogas-to-methanol route typically only utilizes the carbon in methane, with part of the carbon dioxide being emitted or treated separately. The idea of direct full-carbon conversion uses both methane and carbon dioxide as carbon sources for conversion, bringing carbon utilization close to 100%, thereby simultaneously increasing the efficiency of raw material use and the carbon reduction effect of the project.

In January 2026, a pilot-scale plant with a capacity of thousands of tons successfully completed the entire process, producing methanol with a purity of 99.99%, achieving a full lifecycle carbon reduction rate of over 95%, meeting the international standards for green methanol fuel for shipping, and the project obtained dual certification from ISCC EU and ISCC PLUS.

In June 2026, this technology passed the scientific and technological achievement evaluation organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. The evaluation committee unanimously agreed that the results are of significant strategic importance and highly innovative, and that the full-carbon direct conversion process of biogas, as well as the catalysts and key reaction process equipment, have reached the international leading level.

The successful refueling verification this time represents another landmark achievement for the project following technological breakthroughs, pilot operations, and product certification, further expanding the application scenarios of biomass methanol as marine fuel in inland waterway transportation. Inland vessels have short sailing distances and frequent refueling requirements, making the stability of fuel supply and the compatibility of refueling facilities prerequisites for the promotion of this technical pathway.

From producing green methanol from city organic waste-derived biogas to actual vessel fuel refueling, this demonstration application connects the entire chain, promoting a deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with the practical needs of shipping. It provides a practical model for the replacement of green fuel in inland vessels, supporting the Port of Shanghai in expanding green methanol refueling services and improving the green fuel supply system.

[Source: East China University of Science and Technology Institute for the Development of Science and Technology]

[Editor: Xiao Neng]