COSCO Shipping has ordered two 325，000 dwt very large ore carriers (VLOCs) at its affiliated yard COSCO Yangzhou. According to Clarksons Research， the vessels will have methanol dual- fuel propulsion， will be shaft generator and scrubber fitted and are expected to deliver in 4Q 2026 and 2Q 2027.

COSCO is going hard after methanol as a future fuel. In September last year， COSCO， the world’s largest shipowner， teamed with three other Chinese state-run firms – State Power Investment Corporation Limited (SPIC)， Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG)， and China Certification & Inspection Group (CCIC) – to develop a green methanol industrial chain which will comprise the production， transportation， refuelling， and certification of green methanol for ships.

COSCO has ordered methanol dual fuel newbuilds in a variety of sectors including dry bulk， containers and tankers. Last month， it also contracted for a series of methanol engine retrofits on eight of its boxships.