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January was a slow month for LNG-powered vessel orders following a record of 264 LNG-powered ships ordered last year.
DNV did not reveal the name of the company or companies that ordered these 12 vessels in January.
However, French shipping giant CMA CGM ordered 12 LNG dual-fuel containerships from South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries last month. This order is worth about $2.59 billion.
“Although we have seen fewer orders for alternative-fuelled vessels in January compared to other months, it follows a record-breaking year in 2024, and the overall outlook continues to be encouraging,” Jason Stefanatos, global decarbonization director at DNV Maritime said.
“The orderbook continues to be dominated by LNG, indicating a continuation of trends from the second half of last year. In addition, the dominance of container vessels in the orderbook indicates that demands from cargo owners and consumers for more sustainable practices remain heavily influential in driving the uptake of alternative-fuelled vessels,” he said.
“While LNG and methanol markets are maturing, with increasing numbers of vessels being ordered and delivered, we also see that shipowners are diversifying their fuel options and exploring other fuels, such as ammonia,” Stefanatos said.
657 LNG-powered ships in operation
DNV’s platform shows that there are now 657 LNG-powered ships in operation and 628 LNG-fueled vessels on order.
Moreover, 150 LNG-powered containerships and 78 LNG-powered crude oil tankers are in operation, followed by 71 oil/chemical tankers and 62 car carriers.
As per vessels on order, LNG-powered containerships account for a big part of the orders with 314 units. Shipping firms also ordered 146 car carriers, 48 crude oil tankers, 45 oil and chemical tankers, and 25 cruise ships.
These statistics do not include smaller inland vessels or dual-fuel LNG carriers.
DNV previously said the number of LNG bunker vessels in operation grew from 52 to 64 over the last year, with continued growth expected in 2025.
In addition to 1285 confirmed LNG-powered ships, the fleet powered by alternative fuels includes 396 methanol-fueled vessels, 270 LPG-powered ships, 40 hydrogen-fueled vessels, and 38 ammonia-fueled vessels.