Hapag-Lloyd seals long-term green methanol agreement with Goldwind

Hapag-Lloyd has reached the offtake agreement with Goldwind, a clean energy and wind power company headquartered 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 greenhouse gas emissions reduction of at least 70%, and comply with all current sustainability certification requirements.

“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 and remains our ambition to play a leading role in the transformation of the liner shipping industry,” said Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd AG.

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

Goldwind is planning to build a new green methanol factory adjacent to its existing project in Hinggan League, Inner Mongolia, China. The new facility is due to completed in 2027, although Goldwind will deliver early volumes scheduled in 2026.

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“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 Liu Rixin, Head of Goldwind Green Methanol.

Back in 2023, Goldwind inked the first large scale green methanol offtake agreement for the global shipping industry with Hapag-Lloyd's soon-tob-be Gemini Co-operation partner Maersk.

“Green methanol represents a key pathway within Hapag-Lloyd’s multi-fuel strategy, underscoring our commitment to advancing more sustainable shipping solutions,” said Jan Christensen, Senior Director Global Fuel Purchasing.

Five 10,100 teu charter ships that Hapag-Lloyd and Seaspan are converting to a suitable methanol dual-fuel propulsion system in 2026 will be powered by green methanol.