LNG remains alternative fuel of choice: Clarksons Research

Clarksons Research has released its latest Green Technology Tracker, including full year 2025 data points, charting the progress of alternative fuel uptake and investments in energy saving technologies across the global shipping fleet. Summarising the latest Tracker, Steve Gordon (pictured), Global Head of Clarksons Research, commented as follows:

“With the geo-political and industry consensus on emissions regulation stalling for the moment and continued challenges around “green” fuel pricing and availability, trends in alternative fuel uptake have stabilised across 2025 with the share of orderbook tonnage adopting alternative fuel steady at 47% (end 2024: 50%, end 2015: 10%).

Across 2025 there have been orders for 499 vessels totalling 41.1m GT involving alternative fuel capability, accounting for 37% of all tonnage contracted across the year (2024: 45%, 2015: 8%). Containerships, which dominated ordering in 2025, continued to lead alternative fuel contracting, with 62% of containership capacity alternative fuel capable. Shipping segments that can utilise cargo as fuel (e.g. LNG carriers, LPG carriers) or have market structures, trading patterns and stakeholders that are supportive (e.g. Container, PCC) continue to have highest adoption rates.  

LNG has remained the alternative fuel of choice, accounting for 80% of alternative fuel tonnage ordered (up from 2024: 75%), amidst ongoing concerns around the availability and bunkering infrastructure of fuels such as green methanol and ammonia. Overall, we have reported orders for vessels capable of using either LNG (256 orders, 195 excluding LNG carriers), methanol (66), ammonia (5), LPG (21) or hydrogen (9), with 171 battery-fitted. 

Amidst continued uncertainty around fuelling choices, some owners pursued ‘fuel optionality’; 20% of tonnage ordered across the year was alternative fuel ready, accounting for 41% of capacity contracted in bulkers, 32% in tankers and 13% in containerships.

Alternative fuel deliveries reached a new record in 2025 at 484 vessels of 33.8m GT (44% of output), which brought alternative fuel capable fleet capacity to 9% in GT terms as of start-26. With the current orderbook (~47% of orderbook tonnage set to be alternative fuelled) and projected investment in the coming years, we forecast that over 20% of fleet capacity will be alternative fuel capable by 2030.

Investments in port infrastructure and the availability of “green” fuels continue to lag. LNG bunkering is available at 222 ports (62 planned) and shore power connections are available at 285 ports (79 planned). However, only 48 ports have methanol bunkering available or planned.

Energy Saving Technologies (ESTs) remain a crucial part of shipping’s decarbonisation pathway with increasing adoption and supporting both fuel economics and emissions economics. Significant ESTs have been fitted on over 14,189 ships, accounting for >46% of fleet tonnage: this includes propeller ducts, rubber bulbs, Flettner rotors, wind assistance, air lubrication systems and others. In addition, there are 50 vessels in the fleet and 7 on the orderbook that are testing onboard carbon capture technology, and 3,940 ships in the fleet are fitted with shore power connections.

As of start 2026, 37% of global tonnage is fitted with an “eco” engine (projected to be ~50% of fleet by 2030) and 31% of tonnage is fitted with an SOx scrubber. We continue to see trends in vessel speeds (long term downward trend, short term trends still dynamically impacted by market conditions or disruption to trading patterns.” 

We estimate that the shipping industry today accounts for ~2% of global GHG emissions, with emissions levels currently trending upwards (2025e: +1.6%). However, shipping remains the most carbon efficient mode of transport and the emissions intensity of the fleet has steadily declined since 2008.”