Nine methanol-fuelled ships ordered in April – DNV

Classification society DNV's latest tally shows there are 115 confirmed methanol-fuelled vessels in operation and on order, up from 106 in March.

PHOTO: A model of Maersk's 17,000 TEU methanol-powered container ship. A.P. Moller-Maersk

April's upbeat order activity follows a dull March, when shipowners did not make any orders.

Just 26 methanol-fuelled ships are in operation at present, with a few more expected to hit the seas this year, according to DNV data. The majority of methanol-fuelled newbuild orders are for container ships.

DNV warns that grey methanol is currently widely available, and that significant investments will be required to boost supplies of green methanol.

Apart from methanol, 10 LNG-fuelled vessels were also ordered in April, up from eight in March.

By Nithin Chandran

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