LNG-Fuelled Container Ships Sustain Alternative Fuel Share of Global Orderbook

The latest annual data from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform reflects a year shaped by regulatory uncertainty and market recalibration. While overall newbuilding activity eased in 2025 following an unprecedented boom the previous year, its share of gross tonnage (GT) on alternative fuels held steady at 38 percent. This stability hinged on continued strength in the container segment, and is to a lesser degree also supported by orders in passenger vessels and PCTCs.
 
A total of 275 orders for alternative-fuelled vessels were placed in 2025, representing a year-on-year decrease of 47%. This mirrored a broader drop in the overall newbuild market, which fell to 2,403 orders, from 4,405 in 2024. Despite this downturn, containership contracting showed resilience, rising to 547 new orders from 447 in 2024 and accounting for roughly 49 percent of all gross tonnage and 68 percent of alternative-fuel new orders. Within the container segment, alternative fuels dominated, with the fuel mix by tonnage approximately 58 percent LNG, 36 percent conventional fuels, and 6 percent methanol.
 
Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO Maritime at DNV said: “While indicative of a turbulent year where strategic choices were harder to make, the slowdown in 2025 also reflects a natural reduction after several years of extraordinary ordering activity. Still, in select segments the momentum toward use of alternative fuels remains. Looking ahead, progress will depend on effective and global regulations that incentivize alternative fuel uptake, create a level playing field, and foster fair competition and implementation.”
 
Reflecting the container segment’s strength, LNG-fuelled vessels led the alternative-fuelled market across all ship types in 2025, accounting for 188 orders and representing 31 percent of total GT. Methanol orders fell to 61 from 149 in 2024, while ammonia and LPG saw only limited order uptake.
 
LPG and Ethane tanker orders fell by 73 percent from 2024 to 2025. Similarly, bulk carriers, crude oil tankers, and oil/chemical tankers all saw pronounced year-over-year declines, reflecting a continued focus on cost efficiency and fewer immediate incentives for owners to commit to alternative fuels. Car carrier orders paused sharply after several years of strong activity, declining by 90 percent compared to the previous year.
 
Jason Stefanatos, Global Decarbonization Director at DNV said: “The resilience of the alternative fuels orderbook in 2025 is mainly driven by cargo owners who have set their own emissions reduction goals despite market slow-down and regulatory uncertainty. We see them prioritizing investments where there is a strong alignment between fuel infrastructure, regulatory certainty, and commercial viability, particularly in container shipping, where LNG and methanol are supported by established supply chains and customer demand.
 
“In contrast, segments like bulk and tanker are more sensitive to market cycles and capital costs, leading to a preference for conventional fuels until further clarity emerges on fuel lifecycle emissions and regulatory incentives. Practically, this environment should encourage owners to focus on scalable solutions, invest in fuel flexibility, and adopt targeted energy efficiency measures that can be adapted as policy and market conditions evolve.”
 
Investment in fuel infrastructure continued at pace with 22 LNG bunker vessels added to the orderbook alongside new bunkering vessels capable of supplying methanol and biofuel. These developments signal growing confidence in LNG supply chains and emerging multi-fuel capabilities, reducing operational risk and supporting the economics of alternative fuel adoption.
 
Wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS) saw 24 ships delivered in 2025, with a total of 63 sails installed, slightly up from 2024, which saw 22 deliveries and a total of 49 sails installed. 

< Korea Shipping Gazette >