Orders for ships with alternative fuels decline

Orders for ships with alternative fuels showed a decline, according to the latest available data from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform, with the momentum of the green orderbook showing signs of fatigue.

The data showed that 98.95% of ships at the international level operate with conventional fuels, while only 1.05% of the global fleet is built to alternative fuel specifications, with LNG accounting for approximately 0.78%.

LNG stands out in this environment, as it is the only alternative fuel for which a global supply network has already been developed for more than 20 years, with dozens of ports having bunkering facilities.

Trends

In terms of new contracts in the last 12 months, conventional fuels continue to dominate with a percentage of 86%, while alternative fuels are limited to 14%.

Of this percentage, 9% are LNG-fueled ships, which account for the lion’s share, 3% methanol and 1% LPG.

In the overall order book, alternative fuel ships account for 15.58%, with LNG maintaining a lead over methanol, LPG and next-generation fuels.

As the adoption of alternative fuels in shipping remains a key pillar of the global decarbonization strategy, LNG continues to strengthen its position as a dominant transition fuel, confirming its realistic role in a period of increased uncertainty about the regulatory and technological future of shipping.

This picture confirms a trend that has been taking shape since 2025: Shipowners continue to invest in solutions that combine technological maturity, operational safety and available infrastructure, currently avoiding fuels that remain in an experimental or early stage.

This year

According to the first monthly update of AFI for 2026, 20 new orders for alternative fuel ships, excluding LNG carriers, were recorded in January.

Of these, 80% concern LNG-fueled container ships, an element that demonstrates the clear preference of the industry for this technology.

The remaining orders include three LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) carriers and one offshore vessel fueled by methanol, while no new orders were recorded for ammonia or hydrogen ships.

Analysis by ship type reveals that containerships are the main driver of the transition, concentrating the largest number of LNG and methanol orders.

Car carriers, gas carriers and crude oil tankers follow, while penetration in bulk carriers and ro-ro is more limited so far.

This development reflects both the pressures of cargo owners to reduce their carbon footprint and the greater flexibility of liners in absorbing increased investment costs.

Despite the subdued picture in new orders, AFI data shows that the total number of ships with alternative fuels – in operation and on order – continues to increase in the medium term, with LNG maintaining a clear primacy.

The next day

In this context, DNV data showed that LNG is emerging not as a final solution, but as a practical intermediate stop in the transition, bridging the gap between today’s reality and the expectations for zero-emission fuels.

At the same time – according to analysts – the cloudy landscape around the IMO Net-Zero Framework is pushing many shipowners to adopt a wait-and-see approach. Now, the International Maritime Organization is expected to reconvene on April 20-24, 2026 for technical discussions and then, on April 27-May 1, for the 84th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 84).