If you open following class
vendor/magento/module-checkout/view/frontend/web/js/view/shipping.js
defaults: {
template: 'Magento_Checkout/shipping',
shippingFormTemplate: 'Magento_Checkout/shipping-address/form',
shippingMethodListTemplate: 'Magento_Checkout/shipping-address/shipping-method-list',
shippingMethodItemTemplate: 'Magento_Checkout/shipping-address/shipping-method-item'
},
shippingMethodListTemplate is html template.
Now in your case:
<render args="shippingMethodListTemplate"/>
This code render
vendor/magento/module-checkout/view/frontend/web/template/shipping-address/shipping-method-list.html
template.