Global dual fuel operation ships exceed 500, accelerating the landing of green transformation in shipping

       The data is sourced from the Dual Fuel Fleet Dashboard updated by the World Shipping Council (WSC) on October 22, and the statistical scope is limited to dual fuel container ships and vehicle roll on/roll off ships (vehicle transport ships). As of the end of September 2026, a total of 503 dual fuel vessels of this type have been put into operation worldwide, a year-on-year increase of 41% compared to 358 vessels in the same period of 2025; Stacked with 849 orders under construction and pending delivery, a total of 1352 orders have been delivered and in hand, and the accumulated investment scale of the shipowner has exceeded 200 billion US dollars.

       From the perspective of new ship order structure, according to the load capacity, dual fuel ships with the ability to adapt to alternative fuels account for 65% of the total container ship orders, and up to 97% of the automotive roll on/roll off ship orders; However, in other ship types, the proportion of dual fuel orders is only 23%, and the liner and automobile transport ship tracks have become the main tracks for the green transformation of shipping.

       This type of vessel supports switching between traditional marine fuels and low-carbon alternative fuels, with mainstream technology routes including methanol LNG、 Reserve long-term fuel selection space for ship owners, such as ammonia fuel, to meet IMO greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements. Joe Kramek, President and CEO of the World Shipping Council, mentioned in an official statement that shipowners have completed large-scale capital investment, but whether the emission reduction potential of dual fuel ships can be fully released depends on the supply of alternative fuels, cost competitiveness, and the progress of improving port refueling facilities.

       Currently, major ports around the world are synchronously promoting the construction of refueling networks, with continuous expansion of methanol, LNG refueling berths, and refueling ship supporting facilities; However, the industry still faces challenges: the negotiation of the IMO global shipping net zero emissions framework has not yet been implemented, regulatory uncertainty, coupled with insufficient green fuel production capacity and high prices, has to some extent constrained the large-scale low-carbon operation of dual fuel ships. The industry generally believes that the dual fuel configuration is a safe carbon reduction transition plan for the current shipping industry, taking into account long-term capacity planning and fuel route risk hedging.