Asia/Pacific News
Towngas Steps Up as Key Green Methanol Supplier for China and Singapore
The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited (Towngas) is gradually establishing itself as a leading supplier of green methanol bunker fuel across Asia, with a strong focus on strategic maritime hubs such as Singapore and China.
Through a series of production expansions, strategic partnerships and supply chain agreements, the firm is positioning itself at the forefront of the region's transition to low-carbon marine fuels.
Towngas recently marked a major milestone by supplying 2,903 mt of green methanol to an HMM-operated boxship at Shanghai, which was one of the largest green methanol bunkering operations in mainland China to date, it said in a statement on its website.
The fuel was produced at its Ordos plant in Inner Mongolia, which converts biomass and municipal waste into ISCC-certified green methanol. The facility currently has an annual production capacity of 100,000 mt, which is set to increase to 150,000 mt by the end of this year.
Additionally, Towngas has partnered with Foran Energy to develop multiple green methanol plants across China, targeting a combined annual capacity of 1 million mt. The first of these, in Foshan, is expected to reach an output of 200,000 mt/year by 2028.
Towngas Eyes Green Methanol Demand in Singapore
To support growing demand in Singapore, Towngas is also working with bunker suppliers such as Golden Island. As part of the collaboration, Golden Island will source green methanol from Towngas for upcoming bunkering operations using its new Singapore-flagged tanker, Golden Antares.
Under the agreement, Towngas will supply ISCC EU and ISCC PLUS-certified green methanol to the vessel, which is scheduled to depart a Chinese shipyard by late April. It will load the methanol from Towngas before heading to Singapore, where bunkering trials are set to begin in July 2025.
Tomohiro Yamano, general manager of Golden Island, told Ship & Bunker the firm is already working with a Japanese company to supply green methanol.
Additionally, Towngas signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore-based Global Energy Trading in January to jointly develop a green methanol bunker supply and distribution network.
