Ten Ministries and Commissions Jointly Issue Document: Shanghai Aims for 2030 as Dual Hub for International Shipping Green Fuels

On February 9, the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission announced that the Ministry of Transport, in collaboration with ten departments including the National Development and Reform Commission, recently issued the "Implementation Plan for Supporting the Construction of Shanghai International Shipping Green Fuel Bunkering and Trading Center" (hereinafter referred to as the "Implementation Plan"). The introduction of this national-level policy injects strong momentum into the green upgrade of Shanghai International Shipping Center, clearly stating that by 2030, Shanghai will preliminarily establish an international green fuel bunkering and trading center, leading the global shipping industry's low-carbon transformation.

The "Implementation Plan" clearly outlines the "2030 Vision," establishing the core direction for Shanghai's green shipping development: by then, Shanghai will build a coordinated green fuel supply system integrating "liquefied natural gas + green methanol + biofuels," achieving a leap from "single fuel supply" to "diversified green services." Among these, bonded liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering capacity will exceed one million cubic meters, while methanol and biofuels bunkering capacity will reach one million tons. Supporting systems such as policies, regulations, and standards will be largely perfected.

It is reported that, leveraging its existing industrial foundation, Shanghai has made significant progress in green fuel bunkering. According to Shanghai Customs statistics, in 2025, the bonded LNG bunkering volume at Shanghai Port reached 712,000 cubic meters, a substantial year-on-year increase of 54%; domestic green methanol bunkering volume reached 10,000 tons, with related business volumes ranking among the top three globally, laying a solid foundation for the construction of the "dual centers."

Focusing on the construction of the "dual centers," the "Implementation Plan" systematically deploys core tasks across seven dimensions to comprehensively strengthen the development foundation. On the supply side, key areas such as chemical industrial parks, Hengsha, the Yangtze River Estuary, and Yangshan Port will be prioritized for the layout of green fuel production, storage, transportation, and bunkering facilities, building a robust "source guarantee network." Currently, the 100,000-ton green methanol project led by Shenergy Group has officially commenced operations, with plans for new projects using biomass gasification to produce green methanol to further expand supply channels. On the service side, efforts will be made to promote the coordinated development of bunkering vessels, shore-based stations, and tanker trucks, creating a "one-stop" service system. Innovative exploration of "night navigation bunkering" models will be conducted, with dedicated anchorages established for regular bunkering operations, significantly improving operational efficiency and saving time costs for shipping companies.

In terms of mechanism and standard construction, the "Implementation Plan" also focuses precisely. On the mechanism front, it aims to break down regulatory barriers for cross-customs and cross-port operations of bunkering vessels, allowing the blending of biofuel oils within comprehensive bonded zones to empower industry development. Currently, small-scale testing of cross-provincial green fuel transportation channels has been completed, and inter-provincial coordination mechanisms will be further refined in the future. On the standard front, it involves compiling standards for the full lifecycle carbon footprint accounting of marine fuels, promoting the formation of a normative system that is "domestically leading and internationally mutually recognized," helping China gain a voice in green shipping standards.

Addressing the bottlenecks and challenges in the construction of the "dual centers," the "Implementation Plan" achieves four breakthrough innovations to overcome industry development obstacles. First, it establishes a linkage mechanism of "national strategy + Shanghai positioning," with ten ministries and local authorities collaborating to promote the aggregation of "bunkering + trading" functions for green shipping fuels in Shanghai, helping Shanghai become a global hub for green energy in shipping. Second, it innovates multi-scenario bunkering service models, implementing cross-customs and cross-port operations and fuel blending policies in comprehensive bonded zones, breaking down regional and regulatory barriers. Third, it overcomes restrictions on green methanol production layout, allowing green fuel projects to be planned in qualified areas outside chemical industrial parks, further expanding green energy supply channels. Fourth, it creates a dual-driven pattern of "bunkering + trading," leveraging the Shanghai Shipping Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange to explore the construction of international green fuel trading and LNG futures trading markets, promoting deep integration of green fuel trading with carbon markets and shipping finance, helping China seize the initiative in the global green shipping pricing system.

A relevant official from the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission stated that the release of the "Implementation Plan" is a key measure resulting from multi-department collaboration to address bottlenecks in shipping development, precisely aligning with the core needs of Shanghai International Shipping Center's construction. The plan outlines a series of support measures across five dimensions: guarantee capacity, bunkering services, policy incentives, trading services, and safety supervision, injecting strong policy momentum into Shanghai's goal of building a world-leading international shipping center and promoting low-carbon transformation in the shipping sector.

Industry experts pointed out that the shipping industry handles over 80% of global trade, making its green transformation a global concern. The joint policy issued by the ten ministries not only provides top-level design and policy support for Shanghai's "dual centers" construction but will also drive Shanghai to offer replicable and scalable "Chinese solutions" for the global shipping industry, leading the international shipping sector's transition from a "high-carbon traditional model" to a "low-carbon innovative model," contributing shipping power to the achievement of the "dual carbon" goals. In the next step, Shanghai will use the "Implementation Plan" as a guide, continuously strengthen inter-department coordination and tracking assessments, fully promote policy implementation, and accelerate the construction of a world-leading international shipping green fuel dual center.