On March 20, 2025, CMA CGM Group, Shanghai International Port Group, and Shanghai Electric officially reached a strategic cooperation to jointly establish an integrated "production-transportation bunkering" green methanol supply chain system. This industry-leading cooperation not only injects strong momentum into CMA CGM’s 2050 net-zero carbon target but also marks a significant breakthrough for China in the global shipping energy transition.

According to the long-term supply agreement signed by the three parties, Shanghai Electric will leverage its million-ton green methanol production base in Taonan, and, through the land-sea intermodal intelligent logistics network built by Shanghai International Port Group, will enable the large-scale delivery of new energy fuel. As the world's first super hub port with an annual throughput exceeding 50 million TEUs, Shanghai Port will seize this opportunity to establish Asia’s largest green methanol bunkering center, with an expected bunkering capacity of one million tons by 2027, serving the global shipping network.

This cooperation aligns closely with CMA CGM Group’s "dual-drive" energy strategy. The group is not only the first to deploy 12 ultra-large methanol-powered vessels (the first of which, CMA CGM IRON, has already been deployed on the Asia-Europe route), but also addresses the clean fuel supply bottleneck through industry chain collaborative innovation. Farid Trad, Vice President of Vessel Bunkering and Energy Transition at CMA CGM, emphasized: "CMA CGM is actively responding to the challenge of clean fuel supply. Our cooperation strategy drives us to implement innovative and sustainable solutions to achieve our energy transition goals. The landmark cooperation with Shanghai International Port Group and Shanghai Electric not only sets a new milestone but also highlights CMA CGM's strong commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050."

Industry analysis shows that this cooperation will generate three-fold demonstration effects: first, by leveraging China’s composite advantages in new energy equipment manufacturing and port infrastructure, it will establish the "Chinese Standard" for methanol fuel; second, through the hub position of Shanghai International Shipping Center, it will radiate the Asia-Pacific region to form a green fuel trade network; third, it will explore a market-based green premium-sharing model, providing a practical example for the global shipping carbon pricing mechanism.

As the new IMO 2026 Carbon Intensity Index (CII) regulations approach, this cross-industry cooperation spanning energy, shipping, and ports is driving the global shipping industry from technological iteration to ecological reconstruction. The "green methanol corridor" jointly developed by the three parties may reshape the global shipping energy landscape, contributing Eastern wisdom to the industry's emission reduction efforts.