Major shipping companies are continuing to invest heavily in dual-fuel ships and cleaner fuels, amid regional regulations and a delay in international carbon levies, signalling a decisive shift towards sustainable maritime transport.
Major shipping companies are pressing ahead with costly moves to cut emissions despite Washington’s successful push, alongside Saudi Arabia, to delay by a year a proposed International Maritime Organization carbon levy, according to industry sources and a Reuters analysis.
Company executives, port operators, bunker suppliers and marine technology firms interviewed by Reuters said that regional regulation, long asset replacement cycles and commercial signals from cargo owners make continuing investment the sensible course. Hakan Agnevall, chief executive of engine and exhaust-systems maker Wartsila, told Reuters: “It’s not bold to say that regulations will change during those 30 years.”
Independent tracking by the World Shipping Council shows that investment is already being reflected in the fleet. As of December 2025, 400 dual-fuel container ships and vehicle carriers were operating worldwide, up from 218 a year earlier, with a further 726 such vessels on order. That brings the combined number delivered or contracted to 1,126 vessels, a 28% rise on the prior year, and represents around $150 billion of liner investment, the WSC’s Dual-Fuel Fleet Dashboard and industry summaries indicate.
Orders for dual-fuel newbuilds now dominate the container and car carrier pipeline, accounting for roughly 74% of that orderbook. Data from classification society DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insights platform underlines the broader trend: demand for alternative-fuelled ships surged in recent years, with LNG accounting for the majority of preferred fuel choices in the container and car carrier segments during the most active newbuilding period.
Executives say the commercial drivers go beyond a single international policy decision. Alexander Saverys, chief executive of Belgian owner CMB.Tech, told Reuters his company will continue to back ammonia bunkering and production. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and other major owners said they remain committed to LNG, methanol and other low‑carbon options as they phase replacement tonnage. Jason Stefanatos, decarbonisation director at consultancy DNV, told Reuters: “While recent regulatory uncertainties might lead some operators to take a more cautious approach, the overall direction of maritime decarbonisation has not changed significantly.”
Regional measures are sharpening the business case for cleaner fuels even as the IMO debate continues. According to industry participants, the European Union’s FuelEU Maritime requirement and the EU emissions trading system create pricing and compliance incentives for greener vessels on Europe-facing trades. Britain has signalled plans to extend its emissions trading arrangements to international shipping from 2028, and other jurisdictions including Turkey and some African ports are exploring or introducing levies on maritime greenhouse gases.
Those local and regional rules, coupled with cargo owners’ sustainability demands, mean operators with dual‑fuel capability can target routes where low-emission fuels or compliance benefits are available, brokers and analysts said. Kenneth Tveter of Clarksons noted that vessels able to burn ammonia or methanol will be attractive for services concentrated on Europe where penalties or rewards under FuelEU apply.
Bunker suppliers see growing near-term demand for transitional fuels such as LNG, bio‑LNG and biofuels as infrastructure and supply chains expand. “Whilst the IMO’s net-zero framework has been postponed, this does not change our strategy,” Nacho de Miguel, head of alternative fuels at Peninsula, told Reuters.
Not every owner has followed the same path: a minority of firms have opted for conventional fuel-only tonnage in the short term, citing the postponement of an IMO carbon price as reducing near-term regulatory urgency. Yet industry-wide ordering patterns and the scale of capital committed to dual‑fuel capable ships suggest that most liner operators are preparing fleets that can switch to lower- and zero‑carbon fuels as they become commercially available.
The industry faces logistical and infrastructure challenges to complete the transition , fuel production, port supply chains and safety frameworks for new fuels remain works in progress , but shipowners increasingly view fuel-flexible newbuilds and energy-efficiency measures as insurance against future compliance costs and market shifts. According to the WSC and market analysts, the sizeable pipeline of dual‑fuel vessels and the billions already committed represent a material tilt in the sector’s long-term trajectory towards decarbonisation.
- https://www.marinelink.com/news/green-vessel-investments-continue-despite-535722 – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.marinelink.com/news/dualfuel-liner-fleet-reaches-ships-535181 – As of December 2025, the number of dual-fuel container ships and vehicle carriers in operation has reached 400, up from 218 in 2024. Additionally, 726 dual-fuel ships are on order, representing 74% of the container and vehicle carrier orderbook. In total, 1,126 dual-fuel vessels have been delivered or are on order, marking a 28% increase compared to the previous year. This expansion reflects over $150 billion in investments by the liner shipping industry in these new vessels, highlighting the sector’s commitment to decarbonisation and the transition to alternative fuels.
- https://www.imarinenews.com/32073.html – Investment in alternative-fuelled shipping continues to climb despite broader market headwinds, with the global dual-fuel fleet reaching 400 container ships and vehicle carriers in service as of December 2025, according to the World Shipping Council’s latest Dual-Fuel Fleet Dashboard. The figure marks an 83% jump from the 218 dual-fuel vessels operating in 2024 and highlights the scale of capital still flowing into next-generation tonnage. With another 726 dual-fuel ships on order, the combined delivered and contracted fleet now stands at 1,126 vessels—representing more than $150 billion in commitments by liner operators.
- https://www.worldshipping.org/news/dual-fuel-container-ship-and-vehicle-carrier-fleet-reaches-400-ships-on-the-water – The World Shipping Council (WSC) has published its latest update to the WSC Dual-Fuel Fleet Dashboard, tracking the global liner shipping industry’s investment in new ships capable of running on renewable and lower-emission fuels. As of December 2025, the number of dual-fuel container ships and vehicle carriers on the water has reached 400, up from 218 in 2024. The number of dual-fuel ships on order has also continued to grow, reaching 726 vessels, despite a flurry of deliveries shifting from the orderbook onto the water. Across the container ship and vehicle carrier orderbook, 74% of vessels on order are dual-fuel.
- https://www.globaltrademag.com/dual-fuel-shipping-fleet-nearly-doubled-in-2025-as-industry-pushes-decarbonization/ – The amount of liner shipping using dual-fuel vessels able to take advantage of emerging alternative lower emissions fuels nearly doubled in 2025, according to new data from the World Shipping Council, as reported by The Maritime Executive. In its year-end update on the Dual-Fuel Fleet Dashboard, WSC highlights continuing strong investments as shipowners push forward with their efforts, not waiting for the IMO and other regulators. WSC launched the dashboard to track the global liner shipping industry’s investments in new ships capable of running on renewable and lower-emission fuels, presenting the data as a snapshot “of how the fleet is preparing for the transition to net-zero 2050.”
- https://www.dnv.com/news/2025/lng-powers-unprecedented-year-for-orders-of-alternative-fuelled-vesselss/ – According to the latest data from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insights (AFI) platform, the maritime industry’s exceptional newbuilding year 2024 drove a significant rise in orders for alternative-fuelled vessels. A total of 515 such ships were ordered, representing a 38% year-on-year increase compared to 2023, underscoring the industry’s growing commitment to decarbonisation. The growth in alternative-fuelled vessel orders has been heavily driven by the container and car carrier newbuild boom over the last three years. In 2024, 69% of all container ship orders were for ships capable of being powered by alternative fuels, driven by cargo owners responding to consumer demands for more sustainable practices and liner companies preparing to replace older tonnage. The preferred fuel choice for this segment was LNG (67%). In total, the container and car carrier segments made up 62% of all alternative fuel orders in 2024.
- https://moveitmagazine.com/2026/02/02/dual-fuel-fleet-reaches-400-ships/ – The World Shipping Council has released a new update from its Dual Fuel Fleet Dashboard, showing continued momentum in the liner sector’s shift toward lower emission operations. By December 2025, 400 dual fuel container ships and vehicle carriers were operating worldwide, up from 218 vessels the year before. The figures highlight how quickly shipping lines are adding vessels that can operate on renewable and lower emission fuels. Orderbook growth remains strong. Even with many recent deliveries entering service, 726 dual fuel ships are still on order. Across the container ship and vehicle carrier orderbook, 74 percent of all vessels being built now include dual fuel capability. This signals that fuel flexibility is becoming standard practice for newbuild tonnage. In total, 1,126 dual fuel container ships and vehicle carriers have either been delivered or are on order. That marks a 28 percent increase compared with last year. Industry investment in these vessels now exceeds 150 billion dollars. Dual fuel ships are seen as a practical pathway for the energy transition. They allow operators to use conventional fuels today while remaining ready to switch to renewable and near zero emission fuels as supply and infrastructure become widely available.
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:
10
Notes:
The article is dated February 13, 2026, and presents recent developments in the shipping industry’s investment in green technologies, including data up to December 2025. No evidence of recycled or outdated content was found.
Quotes check
Score:
8
Notes:
Direct quotes from industry leaders such as Hakan Agnevall, CEO of Wärtsilä, and Alexander Saverys, CEO of CMB.Tech, are included. While these quotes are plausible and relevant, they cannot be independently verified through the provided sources. The absence of direct links to the original interviews or statements raises concerns about the authenticity of these quotes.
Source reliability
Score:
7
Notes:
The article is published on MarineLink, a niche publication focusing on maritime industry news. While it provides detailed information, the lack of broader coverage from major news organisations like Reuters or the BBC may limit the article’s reach and impact. Additionally, the article relies on a Reuters analysis, but the original Reuters source is not provided, making it difficult to assess the independence and reliability of the information.
Plausibility check
Score:
9
Notes:
The article discusses ongoing investments in dual-fuel vessels and alternative marine fuels, aligning with known industry trends towards decarbonisation. The figures presented, such as the $150 billion investment in dual-fuel vessels and the 28% increase compared to the previous year, are plausible. However, without access to the original Reuters analysis, it’s challenging to verify the accuracy of these statistics.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The article presents plausible information on the shipping industry’s ongoing investments in green technologies, with figures that align with known industry trends. However, the inability to independently verify key quotes and statistics, coupled with the lack of direct links to original sources, raises concerns about the article’s reliability and independence. The reliance on a single, niche publication without broader coverage from major news organisations further diminishes confidence in the content’s accuracy and originality.
