More than 500 dual-fuel container ships and vehicle carriers are now operating globally, up 41% from last year at the same time.
According to data from the World Shipping Council, 503 dual-fuel ships were on the water as of September 2026, compared to 358 through the first nine months of 2025. Another 849 dual-fuel vessels are on order, which would bring the worldwide total to 1,352 once deliveries are made.
“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 WSC president and CEO Joe Kramek in an October 22 release.
Moving forward, Kramek added, ships will still need a steady supply of commercially competitive alternative fuels to deliver on their full potential to cut emissions. By deadweight tonnage, dual-fuel vessels account for 65% of container ship orders, and 97% of vehicle carrier orders, demonstrating a need to invest in the alternative fuels needed to power those ships.
However, cost and supply remain significant obstacles. DNV estimated that bio-methanol cost roughly three times as much as conventional marine gas oil in 2025. A September 2026 report from University College London and the Getting to Zero Coalition also projects that supplies of e-methanol and renewable ammonia won't reach the level needed to provide 5% of international shipping’s energy until 2032 under a medium-growth scenario, two years behind the industry’s target. Under a slower-growth scenario, that level wouldn't be reached until 2035.
