Orders for alternative-fueled vessels declined sharply in 2025 following an exceptional year of growth, with the maritime industry placing 232 such orders in the first eleven months—a 53% drop compared to the same period in 2024, according to DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform.
Despite the slowdown, LNG-fuelled vessels continued to dominate new orders, representing 67% of all alternative fuel vessel orders this year.
In November alone, ten new orders were placed for alternative-fuelled vessels, all powered by LNG. The container segment led with six orders, while the tanker segment accounted for four. For the year overall, container vessels have dominated alternative fuel orders, representing 66% of the total.
“Following a stronger month in October, ordering of alternative-fuelled vessels has slowed down again, reflecting broader market trends in the second half of the year,” said Jason Stefanatos, Global Decarbonization Director at DNV Maritime. “Nonetheless, the pattern remains clear, with uptake dominated by LNG-fuelled vessels, primarily from the container segment.”
The 2025 figures represent a significant retreat from 2024’s record-breaking performance, when 515 alternative-fuelled vessels were ordered—a 38% year-on-year increase. That surge was driven largely by a containership and car carrier newbuilding boom, with 69% of container ship orders in 2024 specifying alternative fuel capability.
While LNG remains the dominant choice, methanol-fuelled vessels captured 20% of orders in 2025, down from 32% in 2024 when 166 methanol orders were placed. The shift may reflect challenges in green methanol production infrastructure, according to DNV officials.
“Market conditions, infrastructure development, fuel production updates, and cargo owners’ needs are all shaping the demand for different fuels, both in the short and long term,” Stefanatos explained. “The shifting trends in LNG and methanol orders this year might be due to the slow development of green methanol production.”
Despite the ordering slowdown, the operational fleet of LNG-powered vessels continues to expand. By the end of 2024, 641 LNG-fuelled ships were in operation globally, following a record 169 deliveries that year. The number of LNG-powered ships doubled between 2021 and 2024.
The decarbonization effort continues to be driven primarily by cargo owners responding to consumer sustainability demands and liner companies preparing to replace aging tonnage. Stefanatos noted that “regulatory uncertainty remains” but added that “the drive for maritime decarbonization continues to be led by cargo owners and shipowners.”
Looking ahead, DNV expects the LNG-powered fleet to double again by the end of the decade based on current orderbook data. Meanwhile, emerging fuels like ammonia are beginning to gain traction, with 27 ammonia-fuelled vessel orders placed in 2024, including the first non-gas carrier ammonia vessels.
