LNG-fuelled box ships topped alternative fuels orderbook again in early 2026

Twenty new orders for ’alternative-fuelled’ vessels were placed in January 2026, following the market’s moves towards new fuel types over 2024 and 2025, and marking a ramp-up in the trend from January 2025. 

LNG is, again, the fuel of choice for the vessels, and container vessels dominated the new orders placed, according to DNV Maritime global decarbonisation director Jason Stefanatos. 

"LNG-fuelled container vessels continue to account for the majority of orders, with one methanol-fuelled offshore vessel and three LPG carriers making up the remainder," Mr Stefanatos said in a post on his LinkedIn page.   

Sixteen LNG-fuelled container vessels were ordered in January, out of 20 vessels recorded on AFI’s list of orders.

In 2025, shipbuilding data compiled in DNV’s AFI platform showed a marked downturn in orders for vessels that can run on what the Norwegian classification society calls ’alternative’ fuels.

The 2025 full-year AFI figures showed a downturn in unconventional fuel-driven ship orders of nearly 50% as compared with 2024 figures. Overall, ordering was down by similar margins, the class society said. DNV chalked up the industry retrenchment to "regulatory uncertainty and market recalibration".

Bucking the negative trends was container ship contracting, which clocked 547 new orders, up markedly from 447 in 2024 and accounting for roughly 49% of all gross tonnage and more than two-thirds of new non-conventional fuel orders.

Notably, the vast majority of non-conventional orders in the sector and the industry as a whole went to LNG, a fossil fuel with questionable decarbonisation credentials. Methane slip – or the release of unburned methane into the atmosphere during the lifecycle of LNG and as exhaust from ships – contributes to a high carbon intensity for the fuel.

The downward ordering trend in 2025 materialised despite an early 2025 report that was relatively similar to figures reported in 2026.

In a message in January 2025, Mr Stefanatos pointed to a "dominance of container vessels in the orderbook" which "indicates that demands from cargo owners and consumers for more sustainable practices remain heavily influential in driving the uptake of alternative-fuelled vessels".

Mr Stefanatos said in early 2025 that, while LNG and methanol markets are maturing with increasing numbers of vessels being ordered and delivered to run on those fuel types, shipowners are also continuing to diversify their fuel options and explore other fuels, such as ammonia.