'Orient Elegance' Marks Historic Maiden Call at Yantian with Green Methanol Bunkering

COSCO SHIPPING Lines' 'Orient Elegance' recently completed its maiden call at Yantian International Container Terminals (YICT), with a green methanol bunkering ceremony held concurrently. Recognised as the world's largest methanol dual-fuel container vessel and a benchmark of Chinese advanced manufacturing, the ship has designated Yantian Port as its sole port of call in South China and its final port of departure before leaving China.

During the maiden call, the 'Orient Elegance' completed green methanol bunkering at Yantian before departing fully laden. The operation marks a further advancement in Yantian Port's green fuel bunkering capabilities and extends to South China's foreign trade enterprises a sea freight option with demonstrably lower carbon attributes.

In July of this year, the world's first 24,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel vessel, the 'Orient Wisdom,' similarly designated Yantian Port as its sole South China call and final port before leaving China. The subsequent selection of Yantian by the 'Orient Elegance' signals that the cooperation between YICT and COSCO SHIPPING Lines has extended beyond route network alignment into the domain of green shipping practice. The successive calls and green methanol bunkering operations of both vessels reflect the shipping line's recognition of Yantian Port's hub functionality and operational efficiency, while demonstrating that the port's green fuel supply and bunkering service capabilities are advancing steadily - positioning Yantian to deliver more efficient, safe, and sustainable logistics solutions for foreign trade enterprises.

YICT Managing Director Sam Gam noted that the relationship between Yantian International and COSCO SHIPPING Lines carries deep roots. As one of the few efficiently operated natural deep-water ports in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area - further reinforced by the streamlined customs clearance environment provided through coordinated port inspection units - Yantian Port has consistently served as COSCO SHIPPING Lines' core hub in South China. YICT will continue to work alongside global customers and partners to build a supply chain and industrial chain system that is more efficient, intelligent, green, and resilient, collectively transforming the 'supply chain' into a 'shared-value chain.'

In terms of port conditions, YICT leverages its superior geographic position, the natural advantages of its deep-water harbour, advanced operational equipment, and high-efficiency service capabilities to deliver reliable berthing and swift operations for ultra-large vessels on a sustained basis. The terminal currently operates more than 100 weekly routes serving destinations worldwide. Supported by a dense network of ocean-going shipping lanes, and in close coordination with shipping lines, government authorities at all levels, and port inspection units, YICT provides the market with high-frequency, extensive, fast, and high-quality sea freight services - reinforcing COSCO SHIPPING Lines' network deployment across South China and beyond. For ultra-large methanol dual-fuel vessels, the operational efficiency, bunkering capability, and customs coordination of a port of call directly affect scheduling and the economics of route operations; Yantian Port's comprehensive conditions provide the foundational support for its designation as a South China hub.

With the completion of green methanol bunkering for the 'Orient Elegance,' the range of green fuel options that YICT provides to shipping lines has expanded further, and the port's green service capabilities continue to strengthen. From January to September of this year, cumulative shore power supply at Yantian Port reached 27.25 million kWh, a record high for the same period in any prior year; September alone recorded 3.95 million kWh, setting a new single-month record. Over the same period, cumulative LNG bunkering volume at Yantian Port reached 420,000 cubic metres, a year-on-year increase of 17% and a record high for the corresponding period; September's single-month bunkering volume grew 265% year-on-year, establishing yet another monthly record. The continued advancement of diversified green service capabilities - spanning shore power, LNG, and green methanol - positions Yantian Port to more effectively address shipping lines' low-carbon operational requirements across different routes and vessel types, while providing port-side support for carbon reduction across regional supply chains.

Since 2019, YICT has been named 'World's Best Sustainable Container Terminal' five times over eight years - the only container terminal globally to have received this honour five times. The maiden call and green methanol bunkering of the 'Orient Elegance' further affirm YICT's sustained commitment to green port development and low-carbon shipping services. As more methanol dual-fuel vessels enter commercial operation, Yantian Port is positioned to establish a more complete service chain spanning green fuel bunkering, shore power utilisation, and low-carbon port services - providing a replicable reference point for the green transition of the world-class port cluster in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.