Wan Hai seeks engine switch as LNG-fuelled orders dominate orderbook

The resurgence in LNG dual-fuel ship orders over methanol has been a strong theme in newbuild contracting over the past year. 

In no sector has this been more prominent than in container shipping where methanol and LNG have swapped positions over the past 14 months. 

In the first two months of 2025, a total of 46 containerships have been firmly ordered, not including options. All the orders for ships with a capacity of over 5,000 teu were for newbuildings with LNG-powered dual-fuel engines, according to data from Alphaliner.

“LNG propulsion has re-asserted itself as carriers’ principal short-to-medium term choice on the path to decarbonisation,” analysts at Alphaliner reported earlier. 

Alphaliner is reporting that the owner behind one of the last big orders for methanol-fuelled boxships is now having a rethink. Taiwan’s Wan Hai Lines is reportedly renegotiating with yards in South Korea over contracts it placed last October for eight 16,000 teu ships, wishing to switch from methanol to LNG engines.

According to the latest figures from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform, 34 new orders for alternative-fuelled vessels were placed last month. 

This was almost entirely accounted for by LNG-fuelled vessels, with all orders placed for container vessels. The sole non-LNG order was for an ammonia-fuelled general cargo vessel. 

Jason Stefanatos, global decarbonisation director at DNV Maritime, commented: “LNG remains the headline story, with a clear continuation of the trend towards these vessels evident since mid-2024. Again, this is being driven by the container segment, highlighting the importance of the voluntary market in driving maritime decarbonisation.”