Shipowners ordered 69 alternative-fuelled vessels in September, the highest monthly total since October 2024, according to DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight platform.
The September surge pushed third-quarter contracting to 168 vessels, the strongest quarterly result since the third quarter of 2024. Orders reached 311 vessels in the first nine months of 2026, up 53% from the same period in 2025.
Kristian Hammer, DNV’s AFI product manager and senior consultant, disclosed the figures on October 1. LNG dominated September contracting with 48 vessel orders, including 26 containerships and 18 car carriers, alongside orders for bulk carriers and ro-ro cargo vessels. LNG-fuelled vessel orders reached 200 in the first nine months of 2026, a 52% year-on-year increase.
Another 12 ethanol-fuelled vessels were ordered in September, all bulk carriers, together with nine LPG-fuelled vessels. The third-quarter acceleration followed a weaker first half, when 137 alternative-fuelled vessels were ordered, against 155 in the same period of 2025.
“After a relatively slow start to 2026, vessel ordering activity picked up significantly in the third quarter,” said Jason Stefanatos, global decarbonization director at DNV Maritime.
Norway-headquartered DNV is an independent assurance and risk management provider founded in 1864. It operates in more than 100 countries and provides classification and technical advisory services to the maritime sector. Its AFI platform covers alternative-fuel vessels, bunkering infrastructure and fuel production.