Classification society DNV said that owners have placed orders for 14 LNG-powered vessels in March, mostly for containerships.
Compared to the prior month, orders were down by two LNG-powered ships. September 2021 still holds the record with 35 orders for LNG-powered vessels.
“This is the second strongest quarter on record with 70 ships ordered, which is quite impressive in the current natural gas and LNG market,” Martin Wold, principal consultant at DNV, said.
The February count includes orders by CMA CGM, Eastern Pacific Shipping, Pacific International Lines (PTE), The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, and Thun Tankers.
According to DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight platform, 282 LNG-powered ships are already in operation, while there are 442 LNG-fueled vessels on order.
Owners also placed orders for 222 LNG-ready vessels.
LNG-powered car and passenger ferries continue to lead the way with 46 in operation. The operational fleet also includes 35 oil/chemical tankers, 34 containerships, and 32 offshore supply ships.
As per vessels on order, LNG-powered containerships account for a big part of the orders with 130 units. Owners also ordered 59 car carriers, 57 crude oil carriers, and 51 bulk carriers.
These statistics do not include smaller inland vessels or dual-fuel LNG carriers.
