Despite a slowdown in 2025 orders compared to 2024, shipowners continue to prioritise LNG and methanol, driven by sectoral demand and technological readiness, amid regulatory and economic uncertainties.
According to DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight tracking database, shipowners had placed 232 orders for vessels capable of running on fuels other than diesel fuel oil through the first 11 months of 2025, with liquefied natural gas (LNG) and methanol together accounting for roughly 87% of those orders. LNG represented about 67% of the tally and methanol about 20%, maintaining the dominance of these two pathways in the market to date.
Industry data shows the container sector is driving demand: DNV’s tracking attributes roughly two‑thirds of alternative‑fuel newbuild orders to container shipping, a pattern echoed across market reports that recorded heavy LNG ordering from boxship lines in October and November. At the same time, tanker ordering surged in the second half of the year, with shipyards such as Hengli Heavy Industries taking sizeable VLCC and Suezmax commitments supported by speculative contracting and new dock capacity.
DNV Maritime’s global decarbonisation director, Jason Stefanatos, said ship orders for non‑conventional fuels slowed in November but that “the pattern remains clear”. He stressed that, despite month‑to‑month volatility, uptake continues to be largely driven by cargo owners and shipowners rather than regulation.
A separate DNV analysis of methanol uptake reported some 450 methanol‑capable vessels either ordered or in operation and characterised methanol as having “high readiness levels” with “a strong platform for wider adoption”. DNV highlighted methanol’s operational advantages , it is “sulfur‑free, produces negligible soot and emits significantly less NOx than fuel oil” , and noted that “certain bio‑ and e‑methanol pathways can deliver very low or even negative life‑cycle emissions”. The organisation also pointed to the role of established technologies, interim bunkering solutions and substantial investment in methanol production, particularly in China, in lowering barriers to adoption.
At the same time, DNV warned of “significant barriers” to broader uptake, notably cost and feedstock availability across many alternative fuels. The organisation’s chief executive at DNV Maritime, Knut Ørbeck‑Nilssen, urged an inclusive policy stance at the IMO, arguing that the industry needs a range of practical, scalable options and warning against prematurely closing off pathways. In the context of the debate he said: “As the maritime industry explores pathways to a lower‑carbon future, it is important to consider a range of practical and scalable solutions. There is no one‑size‑fits‑all answer, and different shipping segments and geographies will require different approaches.” Earlier in the autumn, amid procedural delays at an IMO meeting, DNV had urged regulators to keep “all pathways” open and cautioned against measures that would disproportionately penalise certain fossil fuels , notably LNG , even as concerns persist about fugitive methane emissions.
The pace of ordering in 2025 has been well below the 2024 boom. Shipowners contracted a record 515 alternative‑fuel newbuilds in 2024, growing the global fleet of alternative‑fuel‑capable ships in operation and on order to more than 2,000 vessels by 31 December 2024. By contrast, the 2025 total , projected at 232 through November , is running at roughly half the prior year’s level, with several trade publications reporting 222 orders through October and a late‑year softening in signings.
For industrial decarbonisation professionals, the market signals are mixed: clustering of orders around LNG and methanol points to near‑term scalability and sectoral concentration (notably container shipping), while cost, feedstock and regulatory uncertainty remain material constraints on diversification to low‑carbon and zero‑carbon fuels. The coming months of contracting, bunkering investment and regulatory decisions at the IMO will be decisive in determining whether the current dual‑fuel dominance evolves into broader, sustained adoption of low‑ and zero‑emission pathways.
- https://www.rivieramm.com/news-content-hub/lng-and-methanol-dominate-nearly-90-of-alternative-fuels-in-2025-new-ship-orders-87003 – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.marinelink.com/news/new-alternativefueled-vessel-orders-531919 – In October 2025, 30 new orders for alternative-fueled vessels were placed, with 26 being LNG-fueled vessels from the container segment and four methanol-fueled vessels, three of which were in the tankers segment. This brings the total to 222 orders for alternative-fueled vessels in the first 10 months of 2025, with LNG-fueled vessels accounting for 67% and methanol-fueled vessels 20%. The container segment now accounts for 65% of all new orders for alternative-fueled vessels in 2025.
- https://www.marinelink.com/news/alternative-fuel-vessels-orders-continue-527506 – Despite a slowdown in the overall newbuild market, orders for alternative-fueled vessels continued to grow in 2025. In the first half of 2025, new orders reached 19.8 million gross tonnes, exceeding the 2024 figure by 78%. LNG was the dominant fuel, accounting for 87 new vessels ordered, totaling 14.2 million GT, primarily in the container segment. Methanol also showed strong momentum, with 4.6 million GT ordered across various segments.
- https://www.waterwaysjournal.net/2025/07/03/global-alternative-fuels/ – In the first half of 2025, new orders for alternative-fueled vessels reached 19.8 million gross tons, a 78% increase compared to the same period in 2024. LNG and methanol were the most popular alternative fuels, with LNG accounting for 13.6 million gross tons and methanol for 4.6 million gross tons across multiple segments, including container, RoPax, tanker, offshore, and car carrier.
- https://www.worldports.org/orders-almost-halved-for-new-alternative-fuelled-ships-in-first-10-months-of-2025/ – In the first ten months of 2025, orders for alternative-fueled vessels declined by 52% compared to the same period in 2024. A total of 222 orders were placed, with LNG-fueled ships accounting for two-thirds (67%) and the container segment representing a similar proportion (65%). In October, 30 new orders were registered, with 26 LNG-fueled vessels and four methanol-fueled vessels.
- https://www.marinelink.com/news/methanol-tops-march-orders-alternative-524154 – In March 2025, 25 new orders were placed for alternative-fueled vessels, with methanol leading the activity with 12 orders across diverse segments, including cruise vessels, car carriers, offshore vessels, bulk carriers, and crude oil/chemical tankers. Seven orders were placed for LNG-fueled vessels, all in the container segment, and two orders were for ammonia-fueled vessels, both oil/chemical tankers.
- https://oceancrew.org/news/container-sector-drives-october-surge-in-lng-fueled-ship-orders – In October 2025, 30 new orders for alternative-fueled ships were placed, with 26 LNG-fueled vessels from the container sector and four methanol-fueled ships, three of which were in the tanker category. Despite this increase, the overall numbers for the year remain low, with only 222 alternative-fueled vessel orders placed in the first ten months of 2025, representing 52% of the totals from the same period in 2024.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative presents recent data from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight platform, with the latest figures from October 2025. The earliest known publication date of similar content is July 2025, indicating that the information is current and not recycled. The report is based on DNV’s proprietary data, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The article includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. ([marinelink.com](https://www.marinelink.com/news/new-alternativefueled-vessel-orders-531919?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
9
Notes:
The direct quotes from DNV’s Global Decarbonization Director, Jason Stefanatos, and CEO Maritime, Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, are consistent with their previous statements in July 2025. No variations in wording were found, suggesting that the quotes are reused. The absence of new quotes may indicate a lack of original reporting. ([marinelink.com](https://www.marinelink.com/news/alternative-fuel-vessels-orders-continue-527506?utm_source=openai))
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from DNV, a reputable classification society with a strong track record in maritime industry reporting. The data is sourced from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight platform, which is a credible and authoritative source. The report is published on Riviera Maritime Media, a well-known industry publication, further enhancing the source’s reliability.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims about the dominance of LNG and methanol in alternative fuel orders align with DNV’s previous reports and industry trends. The data is consistent with other reputable sources, such as AXSMarine, which reported similar findings regarding the market share of alternative fuels in 2025. The narrative lacks specific factual anchors, such as names, institutions, and dates, which reduces the score and flags it as potentially synthetic. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/orders-less-polluting-cargo-ships-hold-share-despite-overall-drop-axsmarine-says-2025-11-07/?utm_source=openai))
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative presents current and relevant data from a reputable source, with consistent figures and quotes. While the lack of new quotes and specific factual anchors slightly reduces the score, the overall credibility of the information is high.
