China's first pilot project for blended biofuel oil export launched in Zhoushan, breaking import dependency and offering significant cost reduction advantages.

It was recently learned from the Zhoushan Municipal Bureau of Commerce that the Ministry of Commerce has approved Zhoushan to carry out marine biofuel oil blending and export business, while simultaneously issuing the "Zhoushan Biofuel Oil Blending Supervision Plan." This marks the official launch of China’s first pilot policy for biofuel oil blending. This policy breakthrough will fundamentally change China’s long-term reliance on imports of marine biofuel oil.

Currently, the global marine fuel market is accelerating its transition toward green and low-carbon development, with biofuel oil becoming the preferred low-carbon alternative for international shipping companies. International bunkering hubs such as Singapore have already established large-scale self-supply capabilities through blending. Data shows that last year, Singapore’s marine biofuel oil bunkering volume reached 1.36 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 55.6%. In contrast, China’s bunkering volume during the same period was only 150,000 tons, all of which relied on imports, with the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port accounting for 60,000 tons.

Industry calculations indicate that, compared to direct imports, conducting biofuel oil blending locally in Zhoushan can reduce costs by approximately $80 per ton, giving it significant international competitiveness. Currently, a biodiesel processing project with a total investment of 1.7 billion yuan and an annual output of 400,000 tons has been established in Zhoushan, providing a stable raw material supply for the blending business. Local storage and logistics companies such as Sinochem Xingzhong have already received orders for tank leasing and blending, while supporting industrial chains such as quality inspection, commercial inspection, and financial services are being rapidly improved.

It is reported that Zhoushan is fully committed to advancing the first pilot transaction and aims to complete it by the end of February. The first bunkering operation will not only help quickly fill the market supply gap but also optimize business processes, forming a replicable and scalable efficient supervision and operation system to help China capture the high ground in the international green marine fuel market.