Alternative-fuel ship orders outpace port readiness, LR finds
Shipowners are ordering alternative-fuel-capable vessels faster than ports are developing the infrastructure needed to supply them, according to a new report by Lloyd’s Register (LR).
By comparison, LNG bunkering was available at 222 ports worldwide, with a further 62 planning to offer the service. Only 25 ports actively offered methanol bunkering, while another 23 projects were under development. Ammonia bunkering reached its first commercial milestone at Ulsan, South Korea, on 23 April 2026, when around 600t of ammonia were supplied to an ammonia-fuelled gas carrier.
The gap is particularly pronounced for emerging fuels. Although 45 ammonia-capable and 53 hydrogen-capable vessels were on order, port infrastructure for both fuels remained at an early stage. Hydrogen bunkering for deep-sea shipping is largely experimental, while most ammonia projects are still focused on trials, safety assessments and regulatory approvals.
Methanol has made greater commercial progress. As it remains liquid at ambient temperatures, ports can use existing chemical storage facilities, pipelines and bunker barges with relatively limited modifications. However, the availability of low-carbon methanol remains a constraint.
In terms of bunkering volumes, Rotterdam supplied 11,819t of biomethanol in 2025, while Shanghai recorded approximately 10,000t of green methanol and Singapore around 3,000 tonnes. In August 2026, CMA CGM Osmium received 8,016t of biomethanol at Shanghai in a single bunkering operation, setting a new record for the largest such transfer.
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