Chinese automotive giant Geely Holding has expanded its green drive into shipping with the launch of the Yuanchun 001, billed as the world’s first methanol-hydrogen electric multi-purpose riverboat.
Unveiled in Hangzhou, the 64 teu vessel is the latest step in Geely’s two-decade push into methanol technology, marking the company’s first full-scale maritime application. The Yuanchun 001 combines dual 150 kW motors with two 280 kW methanol generators and 258 kWh of lithium batteries, giving it a range of nearly 1,500 km and the ability to switch between hybrid, generator-only, pure electric or shore charging modes.
Geely claims the vessel achieves 42% lower energy consumption than similar diesel-powered riverboats and can deliver carbon net-zero emissions across its lifecycle when running on green methanol. “The successful launch of the vessel shows that river transport not only can be cleaner and quieter, but also more economical,” the company said.
The project leans on Geely’s methanol ecosystem spanning carbon capture, production, transportation and refuelling. By mid-2025, China had over 800 methanol refuelling stations in operation, a figure expected to grow to more than 4,000 by 2027 — infrastructure the company argues is cheaper to scale than hydrogen or fast-charging networks.
On the road, Geely already counts more than 50,000 methanol-hydrogen hybrid vehicles in service, logging 23bn km and delivering 32–52% lower operating costs than gasoline or diesel models.
