PetroChina Fuel Oil Co Ltd successfully refueled COSCO Shipping Lines' COSCO PRIDE ship with 875 metric tons of domestically produced ultra-low sulfur heavy fuel oil (ULSFO) at the Yangshan Port in Shanghai's Lin-gang Special Area on July 24.

This means that Shanghai Port has become the sole port in the Asia-Pacific region providing ULSFO refueling services.

The first domestically produced ultra-low sulfur heavy fuel oil bunkering service is completed at Yangshan Port on July 24. [Photo/WeChat ID: shlgguanweihui]

The ultra-low sulfur heavy fuel oil provided by PetroChina reduces sulfur emissions by about 80 percent compared with traditional low sulfur fuel oil. It also has lower production costs and energy consumption than lighter distillate fuels and better compatibility with primary ship engines, making it more suitable for the market.

"The launch of ULSFO bunkering service at Shanghai's Yangshan Port acts as an important model for the green and low-carbon transformation of the international shipping sector," said the business manager.

This indicates that Shanghai is a global pioneer in establishing a full range of solutions, including traditional fuel oil, biofuel oil, ultra-low sulfur fuel oil, liquefied natural gas, and green methanol. It will lay a solid foundation for the city in its efforts to become a global shipping hub, the manager added.

In order to help Shanghai create an international shipping bunkering service center, PetroChina established Shanghai Fuyuan Fuel Oil Co Ltd in the Yangshan Free Trade Zone in 2022. By the end of June 2025, a total of 2.45 million tons of bonded oil had been used to refuel international ships.