2025 September 12th, Hangzhou, China – The world’s first methanol-hydrogen electric multi-purpose riverboat “Yuanchun 001” was launched in Hangzhou, marking the expansion of Geely Holding Group’s methanol-hydrogen electric drive technology to the marine sector.
The Yuanchun 001 uses Geely’s independently developed methanol-hydrogen hybrid electric drive system enabling it to achieve carbon net-zero emission throughout its lifecycle with green methanol fuel. The launch of this new sustainable river vessel represents a significant milestone in the application of green methanol and electrified mobility in marine transportation. The new ship opens the door to a scalable and practical path forward towards the green transformation of the maritime sector and global shipping.
Global Leader in the Methanol-Hydrogen Ecosystem
Geely is a global leader in developing methanol ecosystems and promoting carbon neutrality. With over 20 years of experience in methanol, Geely has partnered with companies across multiple sectors to establish a comprehensive green methanol ecosystem encompassing carbon capture, green methanol production, methanol transportation, refuelling, and various methanol vehicle applications.
As the methanol-hydrogen ecosystem continues to grow in China, the methanol refuelling network around the country has also expanded rapidly with Geely’s assistance. By the end of June 2025, over 800 methanol refuelling stations have been established in China with over 4,000 expected to be built by 2027. To date, there are 120,000 gasoline and diesel refuelling stations in China which can be retrofitted for methanol. With a cost of only 50,000 RMB to 100,000 RMB, the investment required for a methanol refuelling network is significantly lower than one for pure hydrogen, battery swapping, or electric supercharging.
World’s First Methanol-Hydrogen Hybrid Electric Ship Yuanchun 001
- 64 TEU Multi-Purpose River Transport Ship
- Dual 150kW Motor
- Powered by two 280kW methanol generators and two 258kWh lithium batteries
- Combined Range of nearly 1,500 km
- Can flexibly operate in multiple modes including, hybrid, generators only, pure electric, or shore charging
- Optimized for reducing lifecycle costs and energy consumption with 42% lower energy consumption than similar diesel vessels
- Far exceeding the 250km range of mainstream 3,000kWh-class pure electric vessels
The successful launch of the vessel show that river transport not only can be cleaner and quieter, but also more economical. The Yuanchun 001 provides proof for a realistic and practical solution to the green transformation of the shipping industry.
Geely Methanol Projects to Date
From the land to the sea, from pilot tests to large scale operations, Geely’s methanol-hydrogen hybrid electric drive technology has been proven its environmental friendliness, affordability, applicability, and reliability.
Today, over 50,000 Geely methanol-hydrogen hybrid electric vehicles are on the road with a cumulative mileage exceeding 23 billion kilometres. The fourth generation methanol-hydrogen hybrid Emgrand sedan was the world’s first car with a methanol hybrid drive to be launched on the market. It not only offers quick and reliable start up in cold and high altitude environments, it also features a low methanol consumption of only 9.2L/100km and 42% lower emissions than similar gasoline models.
In the commercial vehicle sector, Geely methanol-hydrogen hybrid electric vehicles are now widely used in long-distance trucking, urban deliveries, construction, and public transportation thanks to the vehicle’s long range and convenient refuelling. Geely’s methanol-hydrogen hybrid electric drive system is able to reduce operation costs by 32%-52% compared to gasoline or diesel models.
Next-Generation Methanol Drive Technology
Geely’s methanol-hydrogen vehicles and drive technology has gone through four generations already and in 2025, the fifth generation will be launched. The new NordThor methanol-hydrogen EF system is set to become the world’s most flexible hybrid electric drive technology ever featuring three unique, world’s first technologies:
- The world’s highest efficiency methanol-hydrogen engine technology. The fifth-gen NordThor methanol-hydrogen EF engine boasts a thermal efficiency of 48.15%, the highest in the world. Operating costs for vehicles using the NordThor methanol-hydrogen EF can be as low as 0.2 RMB (.03 USD) per kilometre.
- The world’s most flexible fuel technology. The NordThor methanol-hydrogen EF system supports multiple fuel and power sources including methanol, gasoline, electric. In addition, methanol and gasoline can be added to the same tank through the same filler port in any ratio. Geely’s intelligent technology can precisely sense the subtle changes in flow ratio and electric fields to determine the exact flex fuel ratio in real-time. This allows precise control of fuel, intake, ignition, and other parameters ensuring efficient combustion, smooth power delivery, and cleaner, low-carbon emissions.
- The world’s lowest temperature engine start technology. The next-gen NordThor methanol-hydrogen EF system will be able to achieve engine start with methanol fuel in environments below -40°C.
Vehicle models utilizing the NordThor methanol-hydrogen EF system will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2025 providing users with a more efficient, low-carbon, and cleaner mobility solutions.
