LNG gains ground in shipping as an alternative fuel

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is emerging as the shipping industry’s preferred alternative fuel for commercial vessels.

Although the International Maritime Organization’s member states have yet to reach a regulatory consensus on a viable decarbonisation pathway for shipping—one that balances emissions reduction with the sector’s operational demands, given that more than 80% of global trade is transported by sea—the maritime industry, operating in real time, is steadily investing both in conventionally fuelled vessels equipped with state-of-the-art technologies that reduce fuel consumption by more than 40% compared to five years ago, and in dual-fuel engines capable of operating on LNG. Conventional fuels, however, still account for over 90% of the global active fleet and orderbook.

This is reflected in the latest Lloyd’s Register (LR) report, which shows that by March 2026 the LNG dual-fuel fleet has reached 1,665 vessels, with another 982 on order, significantly expanding the global fleet capable of operating on gas as a marine fuel.

LNG continues to dominate as the primary alternative fuel within the current orderbook. Growth is particularly driven by the container shipping segment, which is set to more than double its LNG-capable fleet, while cruise operators, tanker owners, and PCC/RoRo segments are also accelerating adoption. According to IHS data, LNG dual-fuel vessels account for nearly one-quarter of installed propulsion capacity in the global orderbook.

Across all vessel segments, the share of installed capacity attributable to LNG-capable ships is significantly higher. For example, in container shipping, LNG-capable vessels currently represent 3.8% of installed capacity. Once the existing orderbook is delivered, this figure is expected to rise to 46.3%.

The data sends a clear signal: demand for LNG-capable vessels is increasing sharply, both in terms of order volumes and the scale of dual-fuel applications—indicating growing maturity in both the technology and global fuel availability.

The very large crude carrier (VLCC) segment remains a small but expanding market for LNG as a marine fuel, with 22 vessels in operation and 13 on order (as of December 2025).

In 2023, four LNG dual-fuel VLCCs were built by Hanwha Ocean (formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering) for tanker operator Advantage Tankers.

These vessels were delivered under the Neptune project, which included the first ten LNG dual-fuel VLCCs—all classed by LR—with Advantage Verdict being the first delivery.

In addition to the four Advantage vessels, three were built for AET and another three for International Seaways.

Green transition

According to Lloyd’s Register, LNG remains the most cost-effective alternative fuel pathway through to 2050 under all regulatory scenarios considered to date. The report also indicates that blending LNG with bio-LNG and e-LNG could further enhance its competitiveness, enabling LNG-fuelled vessels to generate compliance surpluses during the early phases of new regulatory regimes.

Προτιμώμενη πηγή στην Google

Για να εμφανίζονται περισσότερα άρθρα της Ναυτεμπορικής στις αναζητήσεις σας εύκολα και γρήγορα, πρέπει να προσθέσετε το site στις προτιμώμενες πηγές σας. Μπορείτε να το κάνετε πηγαίνοντας εδώ.