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The latest figures from DNV’s platform show that a total of 97 new orders for alternative-fueled vessels were placed last month.
LNG was once again the biggest driver, building on its strong momentum since July.
DNV said 58 of these 66 LNG-powered vessel orders were from the container segment.
Some 29 orders were also placed for methanol-fueled vessels, with 20 of these coming from the bulker segment.
According to DNV, this marks the strongest month for methanol-fueled vessels so far in 2024.
Overall, a total of 464 new orders for alternative-fueled vessels have been registered in the first 10 months of 2024, representing significant year-on-year growth of 46 percent.
“October marked the strongest month ever of new ordering for the alternative-fueled fleet, maintaining the strong momentum that has been notable in the second half of 2024,” Jason Stefanatos, global decarbonization director at DNV Maritime, said.
“The growth has clearly been led by LNG. Since July, 177 new orders for LNG-fuelled vessels have been placed, compared to 52 in the first six months of the year, primarily driven by an industry-wide uptick in activity from the container segment,” he said.
DNV previously said that there were 117 orders for LNG-powered vessels during July-September.
The previous estimate was reduced by six vessels to 111 vessels.
During January-October, there were 229 orders for LNG-powered vessels, a rise of 106 percent compared to the last year.
“Methanol is also demonstrating some resilience. With 162 orders for methanol-fueled vessels placed in the first 10 months of the year, the total figure for 2023 has already been surpassed,” Stefanatos said.
609 LNG-powered ships in operation
DNV’s platform shows that there are now 609 LNG-powered ships in operation and 632 LNG-fueled vessels on order.
Moreover, 123 LNG-powered containerships and 78 LNG-powered crude oil tankers are in operation, followed by 68 oil/chemical tankers and 57 bulk carriers.
As per vessels on order, LNG-powered containerships account for a big part of the orders with 303 units. Shipping firms also ordered 156 car carriers, 48 crude oil tankers, 45 oil and chemical tankers, and 26 cruise ships.
These statistics do not include smaller inland vessels or dual-fuel LNG carriers.
61 LNG bunkering vessels and 263 LPG-powered ships
Besides LNG-powered vessels, there are 61 LNG bunkering vessels in operation and 13 on order, the platform shows.
In addition to 1241 confirmed LNG-powered ships, the fleet powered by alternative fuels includes 396 methanol-fueled vessels, 263 LPG-powered ships, 40 hydrogen-fueled vessels, and 27 ammonia-fueled vessels.
