The global fleet of dual-fuel container ships and vehicle carriers reached 503 vessels in September 2026, with investment in ships already delivered or on order exceeding $200 billion. Hellenic Shipping News reported the figures from the World Shipping Council’s latest Dual-Fuel Fleet Dashboard, which tracks vessels capable of using conventional marine fuels alongside alternative fuel types, including renewable and lower-emission options.
The operational fleet grew by 41% from 358 ships a year earlier. Another 849 vessels were on order, taking the combined delivered fleet and orderbook to 1,352 ships. WSC president and chief executive Joe Kramek said the scale of spending demonstrated shipping companies’ commitment, but commercially competitive alternative fuels were needed for those vessels to realise their emissions-reduction potential.
Alternative-fuel capability continued to account for most new container ship and vehicle carrier orders. Measured by deadweight tonnage, such vessels represented 65% of container ship orders and 97% of vehicle carrier orders, against 23% for the remainder of the global shipping fleet. However, conventional-fuel vessel orders also increased year on year as the overall orderbook expanded, amid continuing uncertainty over greenhouse gas regulation at the International Maritime Organization.
WSC argued that long vessel operating lives make regulatory certainty important for both shipping companies and fuel producers. It backed a global greenhouse gas measure through the IMO, consistent with the organisation’s 2023 GHG Strategy, to narrow the cost difference between conventional fuels and renewable or near-zero-emission alternatives.
The council also warned that the absence of a worldwide framework could leave international shipping subject to an increasingly fragmented set of regional emissions requirements, raising complexity and trade costs. Kramek called for clear rules and consistent enforcement to support investment in cleaner-fuel production and supply infrastructure, arguing that further delays would increase uncertainty and make the transition more difficult and expensive.