{
  "id": 16031410,
  "title": "Shipowners warn fuel transition could slip beyond 2030 as methanol demand remains uncertain",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/shipowners-warn-fuel-transition-could-slip-beyond-2030-as-methanol",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-22T10:00:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hellenic Shipping News",
    "slug": "hellenic-shipping-news",
    "url": "https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/shipowners-warn-fuel-transition-could-slip-beyond-2030-as-methanol-demand-remains-uncertain/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Shipping executives have warned that the transition to alternative marine fuels could be delayed beyond 2030 due to regulatory uncertainty and limited shipbuilding capacity. Speaking at the tenth Annual International Shipping Forum in Shanghai, Safe Bulkers president Loukas Barmparis noted that ambiguity over decarbonization rules and heavily booked shipyards would delay the transition, suggesting that it may stall after 2030, reaching around 2035. Instead of focusing on the broader adoption of alternative fuels, Barmparis pointed out that progress is currently centered on enhancing the energy efficiency of existing ships and newer vessel designs.\n\nDario Bocchetti, Grimaldi Group’s head of energy-saving, research and design, and ship design, echoed these concerns. Bocchetti stated that uncertainty surrounding the International Maritime Organization’s decisions has hindered orders, causing owners to opt for conventional vessels instead of alternative fuels. Similarly, Pacific Carriers Limited CEO and managing director Hor Weng Yew emphasized that owners could prioritize fuel efficiency improvements while assessing more extended fuel decisions. Yew cautioned that committing to a specific fuel path is challenging when the fuel pathways, infrastructure, and economics are still evolving.\n\nHowever, Bocchetti suggested that shipowners could retrofit vessels and collaborate with charterers to improve efficiency without having to wait for a definitive fuel pathway. While orders for methanol-capable vessels may not translate directly into demand for the fuel, Bocchetti added that fuel costs and logistics would ultimately determine actual usage. For instance, producers rely on demand from numerous owners to support supply growth.\n\nAs of August 2026, DNV reported that there were over 294 methanol-capable vessels on order globally, making methanol the second-largest alternative-fuel technology after LNG. LNG-capable vessels totaled 991, while there were 42 ammonia-capable and 25 hydrogen-capable vessels on order. The Maritime Forecast to 2050, released by DNV in August, noted that the low-greenhouse-gas fuel demand, encompassing low-GHG fuels collectively, is expected to range between 4 million–22 million metric tons of oil equivalent in 2030, contingent on regulatory outcomes.\n\nDNV also highlighted that the existing fleet and orderbook would largely dictate which fuels shipping can utilize by 2030. Marine Plus president and CEO Dimitris Vranopoulos agreed, stating that fuel supply and trading patterns would continue to restrict owners' investment in dual-fuel vessels. Vranopoulos emphasized that it will remain difficult and challenging to synchronize these efforts even post-2030. Platts, a division of S&P Global Energy, evaluated Singapore low-carbon methanol at $1,040 per metric ton as of October 19, which remains unchanged from the previous session. Meanwhile, low-carbon methanol FOB Shanghai was also assessed as stable at $815 per metric ton on thin trade.",
  "summary": "Regulatory uncertainty and limited shipbuilding capacity could delay the wider adoption of alternative marine fuels beyond 2030, shipping executives said, while orders for methanol-capable vessels may not translate directly into demand for the fuel. Speaking at the tenth Annual International Shipping Forum in Pudong, Shanghai, Safe Bulkers president Loukas Barmparis said ambiguity over…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}