Haining Communications, a government entity of Haining City, on Monday (27 July) said Zhejiang Province’s first inland methanol-powered container vessel has completed its trial operations, marking a milestone in the province’s adoption of methanol as a clean marine fuel for inland shipping. The 64-TEU new container vessel, Ding Li Ji 001 , departed from the Jiaxing Zhebei Shipbuilding’s shipyard in Guangchen Town, Pinghu City on 22 July for trial operations along the Hangzhou-Pinghu-Shenjia section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. During the trials, engineers conducted comprehensive testing and verification of the vessel’s propulsion and manoeuvring performance, methanol fuel supply system, and onboard safety systems, validating both the safety of the vessel’s design and its operational suitability for inland waterways. Jiaxing Zhebei Shipbuilding said the achievement marks a new stage in the application of methanol as a clean energy source for inland shipping and supports Zhejiang’s broader green and low-carbon shipping transition under its “Shipping Zhejiang” initiative. The vessel measures 64.9 metres in length with a beam of 12.6 metres and a moulded depth of 3.5 metres. It has a designed service speed of 15.62 km/h and is certified to carry 64 TEU with a maximum cargo capacity of 1,883 tonnes, enabling it to serve bulk cargo transport on major inland waterways. Powered by two dedicated 180-kW methanol engines, the vessel is equipped with a 10-cubic-metre methanol storage tank, providing a cruising range of up to 1,000 kilometres on a full tank. The design aims to address limitations associated with battery-electric vessels, particularly restricted range and charging infrastructure for long-distance inland transport. Unlike conventional diesel-powered vessels, Ding Li Ji 001 employs direct methanol propulsion, using methanol as the primary fuel rather than traditional marine diesel.   Photo credit: Jiaxing Zhebe