Under this supply arrangement, Towngas will provide ISCC EU and ISCC PLUS-certified green methanol to Golden Island’s new Singapore-flagged bunker tanker, Golden Antares. The vessel is scheduled to depart a Chinese shipyard by late April and will lift the green methanol produced by Towngas before returning to Singapore to begin bunkering trials in July 2025.
Golden Antares, equipped with mass flowmeters and a 6,500-tonne carrying capacity for methanol, will transport the cargo to a Singapore-operated terminal prior to conducting bunkering operations in compliance with Singapore’s recently published Technical Reference (TR) 129 on Methanol Bunkering, providing a comprehensive framework for the safe and efficient use of methanol as an alternative marine fuel.
Commenting on the arrangement, Mr Sham Man-fai, Chief Operating Officer – Green Fuels & Chemicals of Towngas, said, “We are delighted to see Towngas’s green methanol business gaining significant momentum across the region. The growing interest from clients worldwide in adopting our certified green methanol validates our strategic investment in this sustainable fuel. Supplying green methanol to customers like Golden Island aligns perfectly with our commitment to developing low-carbon solutions that support the shipping industry's decarbonisation journey. With our new cooperation plan with Foran Energy Group, we will soon expand our capacity to serve major ports in South China and the Greater Bay Area, including Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, further strengthening our position as a leading green methanol supplier in Asia’s maritime sector.”
Mr Tomohiro Yamano, General Manager of the Marine Fuel Department at Golden Island, remarked, “We are planning for Golden Antares to lift the green methanol from Towngas, which has obtained ISCC EU and ISCC PLUS certifications, before sailing back to Singapore for bunkering trials. With this arrangement in place, we ensure that green methanol marine fuel, provided by Golden Island, offers Carbon Intensity savings of more than 75% compared to conventional Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil.”
Towngas’s methanol production plant in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, utilises proprietary technology to convert biomass and municipal waste into green methanol and was the first enterprise on the Chinese mainland to produce ISCC EU and ISCC PLUS-certified green methanol. The facility’s annual production capacity, currently at 100,000 tonnes, is expected to increase to 150,000 tonnes by the end of 2025.
Additionally, Towngas has entered into a “Cooperation Framework Agreement for Green Fuel and Chemical Projects” with Foran Energy Group Company Limited, with both parties planning to raise RMB10 billion to establish multiple green methanol production bases across China, targeting a combined annual production capacity of 1 million tonnes. The initial annual production capacity of the Foshan production plant is expected to reach 200,000 tonnes by 2028.
In January 2025, Towngas also signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore-based Global Energy Trading Pte Ltd to jointly advance the supply and distribution of green methanol as a marine fuel. Moving forward, Towngas will continue to expand its green methanol footprint through various strategic collaborations and supply agreements, supporting the sector’s transition towards carbon neutrality.
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Press photos:
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Towngas was the first enterprise on the Chinese mainland to produce ISCC EU and ISCC PLUS-certified green methanol. The annual production capacity of its methanol production plant in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, is expected to reach 150,000 tonnes by the end of 2025.
For media enquiries, please contact:
The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited
Ms Kara Kwong
Assistant Corporate Affairs Manager
Tel: 2963 3497 / 6698 3357
Email: kara.kwong@towngas.com
Mr Julius Chow
Senior Corporate Affairs Officer
Tel: 2963 3471 / 6969 1360
Email: julius.chow@towngas.com
Release ID: 89156876