Image and data credit: DNV

• 52 vessels ordered in August, the highest since October 2024
• 46 LNG-fuelled vessels led activity, including 30 container ships
• Four ethanol-fuelled and two hydrogen-fuelled bulk carriers were ordered
• 242 alternative-capable vessels ordered YTD, up 27% year-on-year

August saw the strongest monthly ordering activity for alternative-fuelled vessels since October 2024, with 52 vessels ordered during the month, according to AFI platform numbers from classification society DNV.

LNG-fuelled vessels accounted for the bulk of the orders, with 46 vessels added during the month, Kristian Hammer, product manager for AFI and senior consultant at DNV, said in a LinkedIn post on Thursday.

Container ships led the activity with 30 orders, while 12 LNG-fuelled car carrier orders were also recorded.
The month also saw continued interest in other fuel pathways.

Four ethanol-fuelled and two hydrogen-fuelled bulk carriers were added to the database, along with one LNG bunkering vessel.

The strong August result followed an active July, when 47 alternative-fuelled vessels were added to AFI platform.

Together, the two months point to a notable pickup in ordering activity after a slower start to 2026.

Year-to-date orders have now reached 242 vessels, 27% higher than the comparable period in 2025.

LNG remains the leading alternative fuel, accounting for 63% of all orders recorded so far this year.

Container ships and car carriers have driven most of the LNG activity, accounting for 59% and 30%, respectively, of LNG-fuelled vessel orders.

DNV’s AFI platform tracks alternative-fuel adoption across vessel types, fuels and other parts of the maritime energy transition.