The decarbonisation of shipping is rapidly progressing, but there are significant disparities between the various sectors.
The latest World Shipping Council report shows that shipowners are firmly committed to dual-fuel technology — which allows them to switch between fossil fuels and green fuels — with investments focusing on the containership and car carrier sectors, in particular.
Orderbooks reveal that 78% of containership capacity currently under construction will be fitted with dual-fuel engines. This figure rises to as much as 94% of deadweight tonnage (DWT) in the car carrier segment.
The tanker and bulk carrier sector, however, is lagging behind, accounting for just 17% of global orders.
764 dual-fuel vessels have been ordered overall, 38 more than the number ordered last December
Eco-friendly ships are now very much a reality. Between March 2025 and March this year, the number of dual-fuel containerships and car carriers in service jumped from 267 to 440 vessels, representing a 64% increase over twelve months.
There are currently 1,204 dual-fuel ships on order or already delivered, 28% more than the previous year.
The World Shipping Council points out that, in the short term, the transition will be dominated by LNG and methanol, although shipyards are already getting their first orders for ammonia-powered vessels. Demand will be driven primarily by the box shipping sector.
According to Alphaliner, the containership fleet capable of running on Liquefied Natural Gas now totals 239 vessels with an overall capacity of almost 3 million TEUs. MSC accounts for the lion’s share with almost 90 LNG-powered vessels, whilst CMA CGM is in second place with 76 dual-fuel boxships.
When it comes to methanol, however, DNV notes that interest in this alternative fuel has waned. Only three vessels have been ordered so far in2026.
In short, the shipping industry seems to have long since charted a viable course towards achieving Net Zero by 2050. However, this does not mean that there aren’t any difficulties or stumbling blocks along the way.
There’s a real concern about the economic viability of new fuels across the logistics chain. As Shipping Watch reports, Maersk is witnessing a decline in shippers’ willingness to pay the premium charged for using biofuels.
The spotlight is on the Eco Delivery programme, that allows goods to be shipped on low-emission vessels for an additional fee. The company had anticipated rapid growth, forecasting around 600 customers as early as 2024, but by 2025 the number of participants had stalled at 400. The significant price difference compared to traditional fuels is a major factor.
Making matters worse is global regulatory paralysis. The failure to reach an agreement within the IMO (International Maritime Organisation) on a plan to reduce emissions by 2050 is undermining the confidence of operators, who find themselves caught between the costs of the transition and the lack of clear rules.
The recent MEPC84 meeting left the possibility of a global carbon tax on the table, but the regulatory framework is at a standstill. Industry experts consider a breakthrough in the short term to be highly unlikely. The adoption of the Net-Zero Framework (NZF) appears not only highly unlikely but also unrealistic, given the divergence of views among member states.
Getting back to Maersk, this slowdown in demand has hindered the Danish company’s progress towards its sustainability targets, highlighting the crux of the transition: the ability of shipyards to build eco-friendly vessels risks coming up against the market’s actual willingness to finance the operation.
Translation by Giles Foster
