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Alternative Fuels

LNG will play key role in industry’s decarbonisation ambitions, suggests ABS survey

‘It’s clear the industry needs LNG as a transitional fuel to get us to 2030,’ says Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman, President and CEO.
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While nearly 40% of shipowners have still not implemented a decarbonisation strategy despite impending regulations, there is resounding confidence among industry leaders in LNG’s potential to help reach regulatory goals in the coming decades.

These are key messages from the panel of industry leaders and a survey of more than 400 attendees at a webinar exploring decarbonisation research recently published by ABS in the report Setting the Course to Low Carbon Shipping: View of the Value Chain.

The third publication in the ABS Low Carbon Shipping series builds from prior issues which have identified LNG’s importance among the various alternative fuel options, and looks into current ship designs, in many cases, starting a transition to alternative fuels with LNG.

“It’s clear the industry needs LNG as a transitional fuel to get us to 2030. It could also support the transition to zero-carbon and carbon-neutral fuels that are required to get us to 2050, such as Hydrogen. Owners of internationally trading ships are facing increasingly complex investment decisions as they try to navigate the most efficient course to the low-carbon future,” said Christopher J. Wiernicki, ABS Chairman, President and CEO.

As part of its award-winning decarbonisation programs, ABS has simplified three fuel pathways (light gas, heavy gas and bio/synthetic) to help aid owners in decision-making.

“LNG remains the clear choice today because of its sheer scalability, growing availability and high technological readiness among low-carbon and low-emission fuels, where Hydrogen and Ammonia appear to be emerging as significant fuel types for tomorrow,” added Wiernicki.

The survey indicated the industry has solid confidence in LNG’s potential, with almost nine out of ten respondents agreeing that it has a key role to play in reaching IMO 2050. Among six fuel types, LNG landed the clear majority of the votes as having the most potential for meeting IMO 2050 decarbonisation goals.

Of the respondents confirming they had not yet put in place a fleetwide decarbonisation strategy, 70 percent reported that they had developed a clear understanding of their fleet’s environmental performance in relation to industry peers.

Key takeaways included:

  • The short-term IMO measures, EEXI and CII, create a challenging landscape for many vessels within the global fleet.
  • Life-cycle analysis clearly identifies the need for green fuel production in order to have meaningful GHG emissions reduction from low- and zero-carbon fuels.
  • The required scale up of technology for green fuel production is significant (by an order of magnitude) before low-and carbon-neutral fuels can be widely adopted by the global fleet.
  • The adoption of such fuels and the overall decarbonisation of the marine sector will be enhanced by the global economy’s efforts to address the impact of climate change.
  • Understanding global supply chains is critical to plan future fleet composition and renewal strategies.

“Although we are fuel and technology agnostic, ABS focuses on working across the board to help owners not only reach their decarbonisation and sustainability targets but hit them successfully, while maintaining a laser focus on safety,” said Wiernicki.

 

Photo credit and source: MAN Diesel
Published: 6 May, 2021

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LNG Bunkering

Singapore-based EPS takes delivery of three LNG dual-fuel bulk carriers

Three vessels are the third, fourth and fifth in the company’s series of 14 Newcastlemaxes being built at the yard, and were delivered five months ahead of their contracted delivery dates.
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Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) on Friday (4 September) announced the naming and delivery of three new LNG dual-fuel Newcastlemax bulk carriers from China’s Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding. 

Cyril Ducau, CEO of EPS, said the vessels were named Mount Victoria, Mount Yulong and Mount Wuyi. 

The three vessels are the third, fourth and fifth in the company’s series of 14 Newcastlemaxes being built at the yard, and were delivered five months ahead of their contracted delivery dates.

“A big thank you to CSSC Group and Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding, working alongside our EPS team, for the tremendous collaboration and commitment behind this achievement,” Ducau said in a social media post.  

 

Photo credit: Eastern Pacific Shipping
Published: 7 September, 2026

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LNG Bunkering

LR awards AiP to CSSC Huangpu Wenchong for 12,500 m³ LNG bunker vessel design

Vessel design incorporates Type C LNG cargo tanks and has been evaluated against a range of class notations covering gas operations, automation, environmental performance and cyber resilience.
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Classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) on Thursday (3 September) said it has awarded Approval in Principle (AiP) to CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. for a new 12,500 m³ LNG bunkering vessel design.

The AiP was signed at SMM 2026 in Hamburg and confirms that the vessel concept has successfully completed an independent design assessment against LR’s latest classification requirements.

The new 12,500 m³ vessel design incorporates Type C LNG cargo tanks and has been evaluated against a comprehensive range of class notations covering gas operations, automation, environmental performance and cyber resilience.

LR’s assessment was carried out in accordance with its Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Ships and Rules and Regulations for the Construction and Classification of Ships for the Carriage of Liquefied Gas in Bulk.

Constantinos Chaelis, LR’s Global Gas Segment Director, said: “This project demonstrates the continued market confidence in LNG and the importance of building the supporting infrastructure that enables owners to make practical emissions reductions today, while maintaining flexibility for the future. Through early engagement between shipyard and class, we can accelerate the delivery of robust designs that meet both operational and regulatory requirements.”

A Huangpu Wenchong spokesperson, said: “This Approval in Principle from Lloyd’s Register validates the technical approach and provides a strong foundation for future development. We believe vessels of this type will play an increasingly important role in supporting the energy transition by helping ensure LNG is available where shipowners need it most.”

 

Photo credit: Lloyd’s Register
Published: 7 September, 2026

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Alternative Fuels

DNV at SMM: Chinese shipbuilders, European owners seek closer ties on alternative bunker fuels

Chinese shipbuilders and European shipowners called for closer collaboration on vessel development, alternative fuels and digitalization during the inaugural China-Europe Maritime Summit at SMM 2026.

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Chinese shipbuilders and European shipowners called for closer collaboration on vessel development, alternative fuels and digitalization during the inaugural China-Europe Maritime Summit at SMM 2026, according to classification society DNV on Friday (4 September). 

The summit, jointly organized by the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry (CANSI), the German Shipowners’ Association (VDR) and DNV, brought together leaders from two maritime sectors that collectively shape a significant share of the global fleet. 

Energy efficiency, operational flexibility and digital innovation were highlighted as key areas for the industry as it navigates decarbonization targets, evolving regulation and uncertainty around future fuel pathways.

Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, Group President and CEO at DNV, said: “Gathering leaders from across Chinese shipbuilding, European shipping and the wider maritime value chain in one room is both timely and important. The decisions being made across our industry today will shape shipping for decades to come, and this summit demonstrates a shared commitment to shaping the future of our industry together.”

Xu Peng, Chairman of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), said: “China and Europe’s maritime sectors share aligned missions, complementary strengths and promising prospects. This summit can serve as a starting point for deeper cooperation between China’s shipbuilding industry and Europe’s shipping community, and help broaden the boundaries of full‑chain collaboration and build an interconnected ecosystem.”

Dr. Gaby Bornheim, President of the German Shipowners’ Association (VDR), said: “For shipowners, a new vessel is never an investment for the next quarter. It is a commitment for decades. Long-term investments require trusted partnerships, and many of the world’s most advanced commercial vessels are the result of cooperation between European shipowners and Chinese shipbuilders. Excellence is rarely achieved in isolation.”

China’s shipbuilding industry accounts for around 70% of the global orderbook, while European shipowners operate more than one-third of the world’s fleet capacity. As the global shipping industry faces increased uncertainty, finding solutions that provide flexibility is essential. 

The summit featured two high-level panel discussions moderated by Dr. Martin Kröger, CEO of VDR, and Li Yanqing, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of CANSI, bringing together senior executives from leading Chinese shipbuilders, including China Merchants Industry (CMI), Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI), Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS), and Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute (SDARI), alongside European shipowners and operators such as Vogemann Reederei, Briese Schiffahrt, Bernhard Schulte, MPC Containerships, and Grieg Edge, as well as DNV. 

Discussions further highlighted the importance of close China-Europe collaboration to support shipping’s transformation.

 

Photo credit: DNV
Published: 7 September, 2026

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