World’s First 24,000-TEU Methanol Dual-Fuel Container Ship Begins Sea Trials In China

The world’s largest methanol-dual fuel container ship has begun sea trials in China, after which it is expected to operate on international trade lanes.

It departed Nantong in Jiangsu Province, East China, on Thursday, per media reports.

The container ship is constructed by Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co, and is designed to carry 24,168 standard containers.

Designed entirely in China, it is 399.99 m long, 61.3 m wide and 33.2 m deep with a deadweight tonnage of 225,000 tons.

Zhang Haidong, a company representative, said, “The ship’s core breakthrough lies in its integration of the world’s largest methanol dual-fuel main engine, auxiliary engines and boiler system, enabling flexible switching between methanol and conventional fuel modes.”

It can use green methanol as a fuel, which is seen by experts as a much cleaner fuel that could help cargo ships meet international emission standards.

The ship is a major step in the direction of lowering greenhouse gas emissions and would help meet the International Maritime Organisation’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

A single ship of this size, powered by green methanol, can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 150,000 tons annually while eliminating sulphur oxide emissions and nitrogen oxide emissions, in sync with the shipping industry’s decarbonization goals.

This achievement is also significant for China as it shows the advancement in the country’s shipbuilding industry, which continues to grow rapidly in 2026, especially in the green vessel market.

Official Data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology shows that shipbuilding reached 15.68 million deadweight tons in the first quarter, up 46% from last year and green vessels made 80.2% of China’s new international shipbuilding orders during that time.

This included ships powered by LNG, LPG, methanol, ethane, and electric systems.

Green ships use fuel efficiently and cut pollution by employing advanced engines and clean sources of energy.

China’s increasing progress in green shipbuilding is strengthening its supply chain, especially in clean-energy solutions and research in new shipbuilding materials.