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A milestone transfer inside Yokohama
Japan’s energy transition at sea took a tangible step forward on February 6, 2026, when a five way public private partnership completed the nation’s first ship to ship methanol bunkering operation at anchorage inside Yokohama’s Keihin Port.
The operation brought together Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, the City of Yokohama, Kokuka Sangyo, Idemitsu Kosan, and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company. Methanol fuel was transferred from the coastal tanker Eika Maru to the dual fuel ocean going carrier Kohzan Maru VII, marking the first time an in service methanol fueled vessel in Japan has been bunkered via ship to ship transfer while at anchor.
For operators, the setting matters. Anchorage bunkering allows vessels to fuel offshore without occupying terminal berths, reducing port congestion and improving turnaround flexibility. It is already standard practice for conventional fuels. Replicating that model for methanol removes a major operational barrier.
Domestic biomethanol enters the fuel mix
The fuel supplied was not conventional fossil methanol. It included domestically produced biomethanol manufactured at Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company’s Niigata plant.
Biomethanol is derived from non fossil feedstocks such as captured CO2, waste plastics, and biomass. Using the mass balance method, lifecycle emissions can be significantly reduced, positioning the fuel as a carbon neutral marine energy source.
For logistics planners and vessel operators, the implication is clear. Fuel supply chains are beginning to localize. Instead of relying solely on imported alternative fuels, Japan is building domestic production and distribution capability.
Vessel pairing demonstrates scale contrast
The bunkering configuration paired two very different ships.
Kohzan Maru VII has a gross tonnage of 29,969 tons and a deadweight capacity of 47,960 tons. The receiving vessel operates as a dual fuel methanol carrier under MOL’s fleet.
By contrast, Eika Maru is a much smaller coastal transport vessel at 498 gross tons and 1,259 deadweight tons, operated by Kokuka Sangyo. Both vessels are chartered by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, linking fuel production, transport, and end use within a single industrial ecosystem.
This scale pairing mirrors how LNG bunkering evolved. Smaller feeder vessels enabled early adoption before dedicated large scale bunkering tonnage entered service.
Regulatory groundwork enabled execution
The operation did not happen in isolation. Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism laid the regulatory foundation through its Study Group on the Formation of Methanol Bunkering Hubs, active between 2024 and 2025.
Safety protocols, transfer procedures, and risk simulations were tested in Yokohama during a methanol bunkering simulation conducted in September 2024. The Japan Coast Guard and multiple port stakeholders contributed operational guidance, particularly around chemical handling and offshore transfer risk management.
Without that regulatory scaffolding, anchorage bunkering would have remained theoretical.
Fleet strategy aligns with decarbonization targets
MOL’s participation reflects a longer term fleet transition already underway. Since launching the world’s first methanol dual fuel carrier in 2016, the company has expanded to eight methanol capable vessels, one of the largest dedicated fleets globally.
Under its Environmental Vision 2.2 strategy, MOL aims to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions across the group by 2050. A key interim target is the deployment of 90 LNG and methanol fueled vessels by 2030.
Methanol’s appeal lies in handling familiarity. Compared with hydrogen or ammonia, it integrates more easily into existing storage and bunkering infrastructure. That lowers capital barriers while still delivering emissions reductions across CO2, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter.
Port strategy and industrial clustering
For the City of Yokohama, the bunkering milestone supports its Carbon Neutral Port initiative. The strategy focuses on building next generation fuel supply chains while clustering coastal industries around low emission energy systems.
Insights from this operation will be analyzed and standardized for replication across other Japanese ports and vessel classes, expanding methanol bunkering beyond chemical carriers into broader commercial fleets.
As more methanol fueled tonnage enters service globally, the question shifts from whether alternative fuels will scale to how fast ports can build the ecosystems to support them.
