SHIPPING line Hapag-Lloyd has announced an agreement with clean energy company Goldwind for the delivery of 250,000 tonnes of green methanol annually.

The green methanol will reportedly consist of a blend of bio and e-methanol, ensuring a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction of at least 70 percent, as well as complying with sustainability certification requirements.

Described by the German shipping line as a long-term deal, the move is part of Hapag’s aims to reduce the total GHG emissions of its fleet by a third by 2030.

Compared to conventional fuels, the ordered quantity of green methanol can save a total of up to 400,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions in fleet operations per year, Hapag said.

Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd commented, “As part of our Strategy 2030, we are fully committed to the 1.5-degree target of the Paris Agreement and therefore also to sustainable investments”.

“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,” he said.

“It is and remains our ambition to play a leading role in the transformation of the liner shipping industry.”

Headquartered in Beijing, Goldwind is reportedly planning to build a new green methanol factory adjacent to its existing project in Hinggan League, China, and will deliver early volume scheduled in 2026.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to become a strong decarbonization partner of Hapag-Lloyd, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality ahead of the shipping-industry targets and aligns closely with Goldwind’s corporate vision,” said Wu Gang, chairman of Goldwind.

“Goldwind highly values this endorsement and looks forward to deepening the collaboration.”

Liu Rixin, head of Goldwind green methanol, said the company anticipates the completion of a megaton green methanol base in Hinggan League in late 2027.

Jan Christensen, senior director of global fuel purchasing at Hapag-Lloyd said green methanol represents a key pathway within the line’s multi-fuel strategy, underscoring its commitment to advancing more sustainable shipping solutions.

“This initiative is made possible through strong partnerships, and we greatly value our collaboration with Goldwind, whose expertise and shared vision are helping us make important progress toward decarbonization,” Mr Christensen said.

The German line confirmed the five 10,100 TEU charter ships that Hapag-Lloyd and Seaspan are converting to a methanol dual-fuel propulsion system in 2026 will be powered by green methanol.

In addition to the recent investment decision for 24 new container ships with low-emission dual-fuel liquefied natural gas engines announced in November , Hapag says investing in green methanol is another step in its efforts to prepare for a multi-fuel future, and to help drive the decarbonisation of the liner shipping industry.