Industry coalition SEA-LNG has reported that active LNG-fuelled vessels now account for more than 2% of the global shipping fleet.
Once the orderbook is taken into account, this number increased to 4% by vessel numbers, or 6% by deadweight tonnage.
Numbers have grown from 21 LNG-fuelled vessels in operation in 2010, many of them smaller ships operating regionally, to 590 in operation globally today, including the world’s largest containerships.
With a further 564 on order, the total number of LNG-powered vessels in operation by the end of 2028 will be 1,154.
Added to these are 772 LNGCs operating, with a further 341 on order at the end of 2023.
This meant that over 2,000 of the world’s 60,000 largest vessels are LNG-powered, Sea-LNG said.
In addition, according to DNV, LNG dual-fuel vessels make up one third of the newbuilding orderbook.
Today, 2-stroke diesel cycle engines account for around 75% of the LNG-fuelled vessel orderbook. These engines have almost eliminated methane slip.
For low-pressure engine technologies where methane slip remains a challenge, manufacturers have already cut the slip levels from low-pressure 4-stroke engines by more than 85% over the past 25 years.
