The world's first methanol dual-fuel container ship embarks on its sea trials in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province on June 23. [Photo/Tide News]

A whistle echoed across Changbai Island in Dinghai district, Zhoushan, Zhejiang province on June 23, marking the departure of the world's first methanol dual-fuel container ship ECO UMANDE for its sea trials.

Originally powered by traditional fuel, this massive vessel will switch to a cleaner energy source — methanol, signifying that Zhoushan's shipbuilding industry is at the forefront of methanol fuel engine retrofitting, pioneering a new path in green ship repair, noted a local official.

The official added that renewable methanol can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 95 percent in lifecycle assessments. As a liquid fuel at ambient temperature, it is safer than LNG, ammonia, and hydrogen.

On March 25, the vessel, measuring 148 meters in length and 27.2 meters in width, with a container capacity of 1,170 twenty-foot equivalent units, entered a shipyard of Zhoushan Pacific Ocean Engineering Co.

Zhou Boqun, director of the Ship Repair Department at Pacific Ocean Engineering, explained that the key aspect of this retrofit is the dual-fuel engine conversion, which involves integrating seven new systems, including methanol fuel and nitrogen systems, into the existing space of the ship.

"We are extremely grateful to all the staff involved in this retrofit. It was not an easy task, but we ultimately succeeded," said Khairul Bashar, manager for China at X-PRESS FEEDER, the owner of ECO UMANDE.

He revealed that X-PRESS FEEDER will continue to collaborate with Pacific Ocean Engineering on methanol dual-fuel retrofitting projects. In July this year, another operational container ship will arrive in Zhoushan for an iterative upgrade.

Additionally, according to the cooperation agreement signed between global shipping giant Maersk Group and Zhoushan Xinya Shipbuilding Co, another Singapore-flagged container ship named MAERSK HALIFAX, with a capacity of 14,000 TEUs, will be retrofitted to operate on methanol dual-fuel power at Xinya in the second half of this year.