More than 500 alternatively-fuelled container ships now on order
Summary
According to BIMCO (as of end-August 2025), 534 container ships on order will be able to use alternative fuels when delivered — representing 53% of ships on order and 77% of the TEU capacity. The order book also includes 321 ships set to use heavy fuel and a further 155 ships designed to be ready for future conversion to alternative fuels.
Large container vessels dominate the trend: for ships of 8,000 TEU or more, 81% of vessels and 85% of TEU on order are for alternatively-fuelled ships. LNG remains the most widely chosen alternative (about two-thirds of the tally), while methanol accounts for roughly 31% (methanol led in 2023 but has been overtaken by LNG). BIMCO warns that fuel availability — not shipbuilding capability — is a key constraint.
BIMCO projects that, if none of the alternatively-fuelled ships are recycled before delivery, the container fleet in 2030 could include 837 alternatively-fuelled ships totalling 10.9 million TEU — potentially more than 25% of global container capacity by then.
Key Points
- 534 container ships on order will be capable of using alternative fuels on delivery (end-August 2025 data).
- Alternatively-fuelled ships make up 53% of ships on order and 77% of TEU capacity on order.
- For vessels ≥8,000 TEU, 81% of ships and 85% of TEU on order are alternatively-fuelled.
- Order book also contains 321 heavy-fuel ships and 155 ships delivered ready for later conversion.
- LNG is the dominant alternative fuel (≈66%); methanol accounts for ≈31% (methanol led in 2023 but LNG has since regained share).
- Fuel availability and bunkering infrastructure are key concerns influencing owners’ fuel choices.
- BIMCO estimates the container fleet could reach 837 alternatively-fuelled ships (10.9 million TEU) by 2030 — >25% of capacity if all current orders are delivered and not recycled.
Context and relevance
This piece matters because it captures a major shift in the container sector towards alternative fuels, led by a small number of large operators. It highlights two concurrent trends: shipyards are ready to build low-carbon-capable tonnage, but the availability of low-carbon fuels and bunkering infrastructure is lagging behind. That gap will shape near-term operational choices, port investment priorities and where shipowners place future orders.
For anyone tracking decarbonisation of global shipping, bunker markets, port planning or chartering dynamics, the numbers signal where capacity and demand for alternative fuels will concentrate — primarily on the largest containerships first.
Author style
Punchy — this is a clear, data-driven snapshot with big implications for decarbonisation, fuel infrastructure and market structure. Read the detail if you need to understand where investment pressure and regulatory focus will land.
Why should I read this?
Quick version: if you work in shipping, ports, bunkering or logistics, this tells you where the action is — large container ships are shifting fast to alternative fuels, but fuel supply and bunkering lag. We’ve done the heavy lifting: the article gives the headline numbers and the likely consequences so you can act or plan without trawling the full BIMCO report yourself.
