Alternative Fuels News

It was back in 2022, that industry group SEA-LNG said: The industry is making newbuild investment decisions now that will impact greenhouse gas emissions today and for the next 25-30 years, the typical lifetime of a vessel. It is essential their assessments of alternative marine fuel pathways are made on a like-for-like, or “apples with apples” basis.The issue was that discussion of alternative fuels too often compared the green versions of ammonia and methanol with fossil LNG.The…

Fincantieri has launched what it says will be the world’s first hydrogen-powered cruise ship. Viking Libra was floated out at the company’s Ancona shipyard in Italy and is being built for cruise operator Viking, with delivery scheduled for late 2026.At approximately 54,300 gross tons and 239 meters long, the ship will accommodate up to 998 passengers across 499 cabins, consistent with Viking’s small-ship positioning. The vessel will feature a hybrid propulsion system incorporating liquefied hydrogen and fuel cells, enabling zero-emission operations in certain conditions.

A new analysis from WinGD and Envision Energy suggests something the maritime industry has been debating for years ... and likely will be debating for many years to come: the changing economics of zero-emission fuels.For shipowners, the significance is straightforward. The conversation is shifting from if green fuels can compete to when — and in some cases, that answer may already be “now.”On a pure fuel-cost basis, green ammonia still carries a premium, as today, it can run close to three times the cost of very low sulphur fuel oil.

lomarlabs has entered a collaboration with Blaze Energy to pilot a third-generation, compact, engine-integrated fuel reformer designed to accelerate the practical adoption of alternative fuels in commercial shipping.The collaboration will culminate in a pilot installation onboard a Lomar vessel, enabling Blaze Energy to validate its multi-fuel reforming system, under real marine operating conditions. The Flex-Fuel Reformer converts ammonia, methanol, or LNG into hydrogen directly onboard the ship…

Sumitomo Corporation, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE) and NYK Bulkship (Asia) have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly conduct a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study and explore the ownership of a newbuild ammonia bunkering vessel for application in Singapore.The MoU is in support of the ammonia value chain development initiative that is jointly led by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the country’s Energy Market Authority (EMA).

This week, CMA CGM and SIPG Energy successfully completed the bunkering of 3,643 tons of bio-methanol for the CMA CGM Osmium at Yangshan Port in Shanghai. This operation marks CMA CGM’s first bio-methanol bunkering worldwide and sets a new national record for the largest single bio-methanol bunkering operation carried out at a Chinese port.As part of its commitment to achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2050, the CMA CGM Group is preparing to operate around 200 dual‑fuel container vessels by 2031…

LNG and methanol create path dependencies that divert investments from shipping’s long-term decarbonization pathway, a new study by UCL academics finds.While LNG and methanol use as alternative fuels generate some knowledge spillovers and procedural regulatory learning useful for green ammonia, the main scalable zero emission shipping fuel, these benefits are likely outweighed by capital lock-in and the entrenchment of fossil fuel infrastructure, which then compete with, rather than enable the long-term solution.The research paper…

DNV has completed a multi-year study commissioned by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) examining the safety implications of using hydrogen as a fuel in ships.The study, titled Safety of hydrogen for use in ships, concludes that hydrogen-fuelled vessels require a design-based safety approach and recommends the use of secondary enclosures across all hydrogen-carrying components, including those located on open deck.Hydrogen is increasingly being considered as a potential marine fuel, although broader adoption is expected to take time.

Equinor has entered into a two-year bio-methanol supply agreement with Wallenius Wilhelmsen, a major global player in shipping and vehicle logistics, supporting a growing marine segment for low-carbon fuels.Soon bio-methanol from Equinor will fuel ships that are bringing cars and machinery from points of production to markets. Wallenius Wilhelmsen is a roll‑on/roll‑off (RoRo) shipping and vehicle logistics giant, and will use the bio‑methanol as bunker fuel for its upcoming dual‑fuel…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Obayashi Corporation, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Chiyoda Corporation have established the Japan–New Zealand Hydrogen Corridor. The consortium will study the commercialization of green hydrogen production in New Zealand and export operations to Japan.Hydrogen is expected to play a key role as a clean energy source that does not emit CO2 when burned. Japan has a low energy self-sufficiency rate, and renewable energy accounts for only a limited share of total energy consumption.For this reason…

Everllence and Vale – one of the world’s leading producers of iron ore, copper and nickel, and one of the largest logistics operators in Brazil – have signed a cooperation agreement regarding the development of ethanol as a marine fuel.Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will develop an advanced ethanol-powered engine – based on the Everllence B&W ME-LGI (-Liquid Gas Injection) platform – designed to provide a sustainable and viable alternative to conventional fossil…

Yanmar Power Solutions has acquired a site in Amagasaki City, Japan, to conduct test runs of marine hydrogen engines.The company says it will develop and build powertrains that can be used with next-generation fuels such as hydrogen, methanol, and ammonia, at the new facility.The complex will enable the company to reorganize its production system, including existing factories, and strengthen its capabilities. It is scheduled to begin operations around March 2029.

A new research project at the National University of Singapore (NUS) aims to accelerate the decarbonization of the global shipping industry through the development of next-generation ammonia-fueled marine engines with high efficiency and near-zero emissions.The project focuses on a novel in-cylinder reforming gas recirculation (IRGR) engine concept designed to address key limitations that have so far constrained the wider adoption of ammonia as a marine fuel.Project leader Associate…

The World Shipping Council (WSC) has published its latest update to the WSC Dual-Fuel Fleet Dashboard, tracking the global liner shipping industry’s investment in new ships capable of running on renewable and lower-emission fuels.As of December 2025, the number of dual-fuel container ships and vehicle carriers on the water has reached 400, up from 218 in 2024.The number of dual-fuel ships on order has also continued to grow, reaching 726 vessels, despite a flurry of deliveries shifting from the orderbook onto the water.

According to the latest figures from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform, a total of 20 new orders for alternative-fueled vessels were placed in January 2026. Activity continues to be dominated by LNG-fueled container vessels, which accounted for 16 of these orders, with one methanol-fueled offshore vessel and three LPG vessels making up the remainder.“This is a relatively positive start to the year in the alternative-fueled space. LNG has the highest share with the container segment continuing to drive momentum…

VPS appointed Neil Chapman as the company’s Managing Director of the Americas.Chapman has a wealth of experience in Testing and Inspection, having worked for most of the major TIC companies during his 40 year career. More recently he has held senior commercial leadership roles and he has developed a deep understanding of how to deliver tangible value to clients and operating as a true partner, to tackle the everchanging demands of the marine industry.“We are very pleased to have Neil on board…

Japanese shipping company NYK has invested in XFuel, a company developing technology to refine waste-derived liquid hydrocarbons into low-carbon fuel for marine applications.The investment is aimed at advancing collaboration with XFuel, including the recycling of fuel sludge generated from NYK’s operating vessels, to support the development of decarbonization technologies that utilize existing fuels.XFuel has developed proprietary Chemical Liquid Refining (CLR) technology capable of converting waste-derived hydrocarbon liquids into high-purity, low-carbon fuels suitable for marine use.

The European Union has awarded funding to support the development of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) in the Øresund region, backing a cross-border project aimed at accelerating renewable energy use and enabling the production of sustainable fuels.The three-year project is supported by financing from the Interreg Øresund-Kattegat-Skagerrak program and will establish a Danish-Swedish collaboration platform focused on integrating CCUS into the regional energy system.The…

Singapore posted record port performance in 2025, supported by resilient global trade and fuel offtake.The nation achieved a record of 3.22 billion gross tonnage (GT) of vessel arrivals and 44.66 million TEUs of container throughput in 2025 – a 3.5% and 8.6% increase from 2024, respectively.Marine fuel sales also hit a new high at 56.77 million tonnes, a 3.4% increase from 2024, with continued growth in the use of alternative marine fuels, which increased to 1.95 million tonnes in 2025 compared to 1.35 million tonnes in 2024.On 14 January 2026…

MOL PLUS has decided to invest in Pyxis Maritime, a Singapore-based developer of electric vessels and operator of electric boat charging stations, as part of efforts to promote the commercialization of electric vessels and related infrastructure.The investment comes as Singapore advances toward its national net-zero target for 2050. From 2030, all new harbor craft operating in the Port of Singapore will be required to be fully electric, capable of using B100 biofuel, or compatible…

LNG-fueled container ships helped sustain the share of alternative fuels in the global shipbuilding orderbook in 2025, even as overall newbuilding activity slowed sharply following a record year, according to data from classification society DNV.Annual figures from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight platform show that while total newbuild orders fell to 2,403 vessels in 2025 from 4,405 a year earlier, alternative-fueled ships retained a 38% share of total gross tonnage, supported…

The Financial Times published an interview with Maersk's CEO, Vincent Clerc, on Sunday. This could reduce the company's dependence on China, and help the industry to decarbonise.Clerc stated that the U.S. and Brazil are the leading producers of ethanol in the world.Clerc told FT that if all the benefits are concentrated in China then some countries may object. But if they're more evenly distributed then many more will be supportive. It will allow more countries to see the benefits of the green transition. The shipping industry is more difficult than others to reduce emissions.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Engine & Machinery (HHI-EMD) has successfully verified that its HiMSEN engine can operate stably on ethanol fuel.The company conducted the tests on its 4-stroke methanol dual-fuel engine platform (H32DF-LM) and confirmed that stable operation at all load points is possible. The test focused on verifying startability, combustion stability, power output stability, and exhaust gas characteristics under fuel property differences, while maintaining the existing methanol engine hardware as much as possible.Ethanol…