LNG-fuelled ship orders powered the alternative-fuel market to its strongest month since October 2024 in August, with 52 vessels added to DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight database, according to DNV.
LNG accounted for 46 of the August total, including 30 container ships and 12 car carriers. Orders also included four ethanol-fuelled bulk carriers and two hydrogen-fuelled bulk carriers, while one LNG bunker vessel was added separately.
The August surge followed 47 alternative-fuelled vessels added to AFI in July, bringing the combined total for the two months to 99 vessels.
Alternative-fuel vessel orders reached 242 in the first eight months of 2026, up 27% from the same period in 2025.
LNG accounted for 63% of alternative-fuelled vessel orders so far this year. Container ships represented 59% of those LNG orders, with car carriers accounting for 30%.
“LNG continues to dominate new orders, accounting for 63% of all alternative-fuelled vessels ordered so far this year,” said Jason Stefanatos, global decarbonization director at DNV Maritime.
Kristian Hammer, product manager for AFI and senior consultant at DNV, said August was the strongest monthly result since October 2024.
DNV is an independent assurance and risk management organisation headquartered in Norway. Founded as Det Norske Veritas in Oslo in 1864, it operates in more than 100 countries. Its Alternative Fuels Insight platform tracks alternative-fuel vessels, fuel types, ship segments, bunkering infrastructure and fuel-production developments.