Alternative-fuel ship orders ease to 137 in first half, DNV says
LNG stays dominant while LPG and ethane fuelling surges
Orders for alternative-fuel vessels eased slightly in the first half of 2026, with 137 ships contracted against 155 in the same period a year earlier, according to DNV's Alternative Fuels Insight platform. LNG remained the dominant choice, accounting for 73 of the orders, mostly container ships and car carriers, helped by well-developed bunkering infrastructure.
LPG and ethane fuelling gained sharply, with 55 vessels ordered in the half against just 15 a year earlier. Other orders were thin by comparison: four ammonia-powered, two methanol-powered and two ethanol-powered ships. In June alone, owners ordered 20 LNG-fuelled vessels, five LPG or ethane ships and two LNG bunkering vessels.
Even as order growth slowed, deliveries kept rising, and the period included a landmark handover: Belgian owner Exmar took delivery of the world's first ocean-going ammonia dual-fuel vessel.
DNV's global decarbonization director, Jason Stefanatos, said the mix of fuels shows the industry has yet to converge on a single pathway to lower emissions, leaving owners hedging across several technologies as rules and fuel supply evolve.
