Dual-fuel fleet passes 500 ships on the water as investment exceeds $200 billion

More than 500 dual-fuel container ships and vehicle carriers are now operating worldwide, with total investment in dual-fuel ships delivered and on order surpassing $200 billion USD, according to the latest World Shipping Council (WSC) Dual-Fuel Fleet Dashboard.

As of September 2026, 503 dual-fuel ships were on the water, up 41% from 358 at the same time last year. A further 849 ships are on order, bringing the total delivered or on order to 1,352 ships. These ships are designed to operate on either conventional marine fuels or alternative fuel types, including renewable and lower-emission fuels, helping prepare the fleet for the transition to cleaner shipping.

“The container ship and vehicle carrier industry have committed more than $200 billion to ships that can run on cleaner fuels, with more than 500 already sailing and hundreds more on the way,” said Joe Kramek, President & CEO of the World Shipping Council. “The investment is happening, but these ships need commercially competitive alternative fuels to deliver their full potential to reduce emissions.”

The latest figures show that alternative-fuel-capable ships remain the dominant choice for container ship and vehicle carrier orders. By deadweight tonnage, they account for 65% of container ship orders and 97% of vehicle carrier orders, compared with 23% across the rest of the global shipping fleet.

This story was originally published by Hellenic Shipping News. Read the full story at Hellenic Shipping News →