Orders for methanol-powered container ship newbuildings have fallen below those for LNG and even conventional-fuelled vessels so far this year, according to Alphaliner.
Just 21% of the new capacity ordered this year has been for methanol-fuelled ships, in contrast to 51% last year, the analyst notes.
The development reflects concerns over the availability of green methanol in the coming years, it added.
In the year to date, 264 container ships have been ordered, totalling 3.11m teu, according to Alphaliner.
Of that tally, just 0.65m teu were methanol-fuelled vessels and 0.7m teu were for conventionally powered vessels.
The bulk of the orders were for LNG-fuelled vessels, which account for 55% of the 2024 bookings, or 1.76m teu.
Last year, 440,000 teu of LNG-powered container ships were ordered.
Larger boxships
Larger container ships in particular are being ordered with LNG propulsion, Alphaliner notes.
The analyst said that no methanol-fuelled ships over 14,000 teu have been ordered this year.
About 77.5% of the capacity ordered represents “green” tonnage, Alphaliner said.
This does not include the 1.4m teu of LNG and methanol-ready ships which might be converted to green propulsion further down the line.
Alphaliner estimates the total container ship orderbook is made of 41% LNG-fuelled vessels, 31% comprises conventionally powered units and the other 28% are methanol-fuelled vessels.
The shift has been driven by AP Moller-Maersk which has shifted from methanol to LNG for its larger container vessels.
TradeWinds has reported that the Danish carrier is expected to have secured contracts for two-thirds of the 32 LNG dual-fuel, 16,000-teu newbuildings it plans to construct.
