August Marks Highest Alternative-Fuelled Vessel Orders Since October 2024: DNV
Key Takeaways
- •August saw 52 alternative-fuelled vessel orders, the highest monthly figure since October 2024, per DNV's AFI platform.
- •LNG-fuelled vessels made up 46 of August's orders, with container ships accounting for 30 and car carriers 12.
- •Year-to-date orders total 242 vessels, 27% higher than the same period in 2025, with LNG representing 63% of all orders.
- •The IMO has set a net-zero target for around 2050 and agreed a fuel standard and GHG pricing mechanism to take effect in 2028.
- •With vessel lifespans of 20-30 years, current newbuild fuel choices will determine fleet fuel mixes for decades.
August delivered the strongest monthly ordering activity for alternative-fuelled vessels since October 2024, with 52 vessels ordered during the month, according to figures from classification society DNV's Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform.
LNG-fuelled vessels accounted for the bulk of the orders, with 46 vessels added during the month, Kristian Hammer, product manager for AFI and senior consultant at DNV, said in a LinkedIn post on Thursday.
Container ships led the activity with 30 orders, while 12 LNG-fuelled car carrier orders were also recorded.
The month also saw continued interest in other fuel pathways. Four ethanol-fuelled and two hydrogen-fuelled bulk carriers were added to the database, along with one LNG bunkering vessel.
The strong August result followed an active July, when 47 alternative-fuelled vessels were added to the AFI platform. Taken together, the two months point to a notable pickup in ordering activity after a slower start to 2026.
Year-to-date orders have now reached 242 alternative-capable vessels, 27% higher than the comparable period in 2025.
LNG remains the leading alternative fuel, accounting for 63% of all orders recorded so far this year. Container ships and car carriers have driven most of the LNG activity, accounting for 59% and 30%, respectively, of LNG-fuelled vessel orders.
The ordering trend comes as the shipping industry works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions amid tightening international regulation. The International Maritime Organization has adopted a net-zero emissions target for international shipping around 2050, and in 2025 agreed measures including a fuel standard and a pricing mechanism for greenhouse gas emissions set to take effect in 2028. Ordering decisions made now determine the fuel mix of fleets for decades, given typical vessel lifespans of 20 to 30 years, which is why newbuild fuel choices are watched closely as signals of the industry's direction.
DNV's AFI platform tracks alternative-fuel adoption across vessel types, fuels and other parts of the maritime energy transition.
Source: Ship & Bunker — https://shipandbunker.com/news/world/576427-august-reports-highest-alternative-fuelled-vessel-orders-since-october-2024-dnv
