Chinese automotive giant Geely Holding has expanded its green drive into shipping with the launch of the <em>Yuanchun 001</em>, 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 <em>Yuanchun 001</em> 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. &ldquo;The successful launch of the vessel shows that river transport not only can be cleaner and quieter, but also more economical,&rdquo; 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 &mdash; 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&ndash;52% lower operating costs than gasoline or diesel models.