Hapag-Lloyd signs 25,000-tonne annual green methanol offtake agreement 

Hapag-Lloyd has reached an agreement with Goldwind, a global partner in clean energy with headquarters in Beijing, China, for the delivery of 250,000 tonnes of green methanol per year.

The green methanol will consist of a blend of bio- and e-methanol, ensuring a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction of at least 70%, and comply with all current sustainability certification requirements.

“As part of our Strategy 2030, we are fully committed to the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement and therefore also to sustainable investments. With the agreement, we are securing a significant proportion of our requirements for green fuels. This will bring us an important step closer to our goal of achieving net-zero fleet operations by 2045. It is our ambition to play a leading role in the transformation of the liner shipping industry,” said Hapag-Lloyd chief executive Rolf Habben Jansen.

By 2030, Hapag-Lloyd aims to reduce the absolute GHG emissions of the fleet by around one third compared with 2022. The ordered quantity of green methanol can save up to 400,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions in fleet operations per year compared with conventional fuels.

Goldwind is planning to build a green methanol factory adjacent to its existing project in Hinggan League, China. Meanwhile, Goldwind will additionally deliver early volumes in 2026.

“The planned new factory will share technology, utilities, facilities and infrastructures with its neighbouring sister plant, boosting production efficiency. It is still subject to the financial investment decision of the Goldwind Board. We anticipate the completion of a megaton green methanol base in Hinggan League in late 2027,” added Goldwind Green Methanol head Liu Rixin.

“Green methanol represents a key pathway within Hapag-Lloyd’s multi-fuel strategy, underscoring our commitment to advancing more sustainable shipping solutions. This initiative is made possible through strong partnerships, and we greatly value our collaboration with Goldwind, whose expertise and shared vision are helping us make important progress toward decarbonisation,” said Hapag-Lloyd senior director global fuel purchasing Jan Christensen.

Among other things, the five 10,100-TEU charter ships Hapag-Lloyd and Seaspan are converting to a methanol dual-fuel propulsion system in 2026 will be powered by green methanol.