- Orders for alternative-fuelled vessels reached 19.8 million GT in H1 2025, up 78% from the same period in 2024.
- The container segment led the growth, with LNG and methanol dominating fuel choices.
- Emerging interest in ammonia and hydrogen signals early-stage diversification in fuel strategies.
- Infrastructure investment, especially in LNG bunkering, is rising to support fleet transitions.
Shipowners are continuing to invest heavily in alternative-fuelled vessels in 2025, even as the broader newbuild market experiences a slowdown. New orders for these vessels totaled 19.8 million gross tonnes (GT) in the first half of the year—an increase of 78% compared to the same period in 2024. The shift highlights a growing focus on future-ready fleets, driven by evolving regulations, fuel supply considerations, and long-term decarbonization strategies, according to data published by AJOT.
Rising Gross Tonnage Signals Mainstream Adoption
In the first six months of 2025, shipowners placed 151 orders for alternative‑fuelled vessels—fewer than the 179 logged a year earlier, yet representing a 78 percent year‑on‑year jump in gross tonnage. The growth is driven chiefly by the container sector, with additional momentum from bulker, tanker, and RoPax operators. Activity in these commercially exposed and operationally complex segments indicates that alternative fuels have moved from the margins to the center of fleet‑investment strategy. As DNV Maritime CEO Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen notes, a second wave of owners is now integrating alternative fuels and efficiency technologies into their routine decision-making, and these choices are expected to accelerate as upcoming regulations take shape over the next four to ten months.
LNG Leads as Fuel Strategies Diversify
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) remains the dominant alternative fuel in 2025, with 87 vessels ordered so far, amounting to 14.2 million GT. The container sector continues to drive this trend, accounting for 81 of those vessels and 13.6 million GT. Methanol is also gaining momentum, with 40 vessels totaling 4.6 million GT ordered across a range of segments, including container, RoPax, tanker, offshore, and car carriers. While ammonia and hydrogen remain at early stages of adoption, they are beginning to show signs of market confidence. Three ammonia-fuelled ships have been ordered this year, mostly within the tanker and general cargo segments, and hydrogen has made a return with four vessels totaling 114,000 GT now on order.
According to Jason Stefanatos, Global Decarbonization Director at DNV, this shift reflects a sector that is recalibrating rather than retreating. Owners are focusing on flexibility, compliance, and long-term fuel planning as new regulations, such as the IMO’s fuel intensity rules under its Net-Zero Framework, take shape. These developments are likely to further influence ordering behavior in the coming months.
Infrastructure is also evolving to support this transition. Thirteen LNG bunkering vessels were ordered in the first half of 2025, building on the 62 already in operation worldwide. February stood out as the most active month, with eight bunkering vessels ordered, underlining the importance of logistics alignment in scaling alternative fuel adoption, particularly for LNG, where bunkering capacity is emerging as a key factor in sustaining growth.
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Source: AJOT
