World’s first methanol dual-fuel car carrier vessel visits Hong Kong

The world’s first methanol dual-fuel-powered car carrier vessel has visited Hong Kong on its maiden voyage to Europe, as the city moves towards becoming a green maritime fuel bunkering centre.

Commissioned by a unit of conglomerate China Merchants Group and built in the southeastern province of Jiangsu, the CM Hong Kong docked at Tsing Yi on Sunday flying the city’s flag.

At a ceremony to mark the maiden voyage, Hong Kong’s No 2 official, Eric Chan Kwok-ki, said authorities were actively supporting the shipping industry’s green transition and promoting the use of more environmentally friendly fuels.

Between February and mid-September, Hong Kong supplied more than 130,000 tonnes of green marine fuels to ocean-going vessels.

“The government will propose a legal change to provide tax concessions for methanol used as fuel by outbound vessels,” Chan said. “We have also invited expressions of interest for developing green maritime fuel storage facilities on a site in Tsing Yi South.

“In the future, Hong Kong will increase the quality of our green marine fuel bunkering services, strengthen cooperation with ports worldwide and facilitate the trading of green marine fuels in the city by providing a platform for cooperation.”