The maritime industry’s transition toward alternative fuels remained resilient in 2025 despite a sharp slowdown in global newbuilding activity, with LNG-fuelled containerships emerging as the primary driver of decarbonization momentum, according to new data from classification society DNV.
Figures from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight platform show that alternative-fuelled vessels accounted for 38% of gross tonnage in the global orderbook, even as overall newbuild orders fell dramatically from 4,405 ships in 2024 to 2,403 in 2025. The resilience of alternative-fuel investment was largely underpinned by the container shipping sector, which defied the broader downturn by increasing new orders from 447 vessels in 2024 to 547 in 2025.
Container vessels represented approximately 49% of total gross tonnage and a dominant 68% of all alternative-fuel newbuild orders during the year. Within this segment, LNG remained the fuel of choice, accounting for 58% of container ship tonnage, followed by conventional fuels at 36% and methanol at 6%.
“The resilience of the alternative-fuel orderbook in 2025 is mainly driven by cargo owners who have set their own emissions-reduction targets despite market slowdowns and regulatory uncertainty,” said Jason Stefanatos, Global Decarbonization Director at DNV. “They are prioritising investments where there is strong alignment between fuel infrastructure, regulatory certainty, and commercial viability — particularly in container shipping, where LNG and methanol benefit from established supply chains and customer demand.”
In contrast, alternative-fuel ordering activity outside the container segment weakened significantly. Orders for LPG and ethane carriers plunged by 73%, while car carrier contracting collapsed by 90% compared with 2024. Bulk carriers, crude tankers, and oil and chemical tankers also recorded steep declines, reflecting a shift by owners toward cost control amid uncertain market conditions.
Across all vessel types, LNG-fuelled ships led the market with 188 new orders, accounting for 31% of total gross tonnage. Methanol-fuelled newbuilds fell sharply from 149 orders in 2024 to just 61 in 2025, while ammonia and LPG saw only limited adoption.
DNV Maritime CEO Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen said the slowdown reflects a challenging investment environment.
“While indicative of a turbulent year where strategic choices were harder to make, the slowdown in 2025 also reflects a natural reduction following several years of extraordinary ordering activity,” he noted. “Looking ahead, progress will depend on effective global regulations that incentivise alternative-fuel uptake, create a level playing field, and support fair competition.”
Despite weaker vessel ordering, infrastructure investment continued to support the energy transition. The orderbook includes 22 new LNG bunker vessels, alongside ships capable of supplying methanol and biofuels — signalling growing confidence in LNG supply chains and the development of multi-fuel capabilities aimed at reducing operational risk for shipowners.
The data highlights a maritime industry at a critical juncture, where regulatory uncertainty and market pressures are curbing investment in some segments, while strong cargo-owner commitments and established fuel infrastructure continue to sustain momentum in others.
