The latest LNG and dual-fuel shipping news and the IMO rules that matter to gas-fuelled ships, in plain words with a link to every source.
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LNG as a ship fuel, bunkering and LNG shipping.
Nakilat's 2009-built LNG carrier Al Mayeda was hit by an unknown projectile about 40 nautical miles south of Iran's Lavan Island on 30 October 2026, starting a fire. Nakilat said no crew were hurt and the ship stayed safe and operational.
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An advisory firm's model puts the LNG carrier fleet at about 1,170 ships by 2031, up from 678 at the end of 2024. That would leave 110 to 200 ships spare from 2026, even though US liquefaction capacity is projected to rise from 109 to 234 mtpa.
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Bio-LNG made up 19.1% of the methane fuel Titan supplied to ships in 2025, up from 6.5% a year earlier, as owners used FuelEU Maritime pooling. A 30% bio-LNG blend could earn an 8,000 TEU ship in Northern Europe about 3.4 to 5.1 million euros a year.
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Singapore sold 51,500 tonnes of LNG bunkers in September 2026, 6.2% more than a year earlier. January to September reached 487,100 tonnes, up 21.4% on 2025, according to port authority (MPA) figures.
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The bunker vessel Kaguya finished its 200th ship-to-ship LNG bunkering in Mikawa Bay, Japan, on 30 September 2026. It has fuelled LNG-powered ships, including car carriers, in the Chubu region since October 2020.
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China's Ningbo-Zhoushan port completed its 100th bonded LNG bunkering on 25 September 2026, according to local media reports. More than 500,000 m³ of LNG has been supplied since the first operation in June 2023.
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Dual-fuel ships on order and in service, and measured methane slip.
Low-GHG and alternative fuels supplied 12.2% of NYK's fuel in financial year 2025, with biofuels first and LNG second. Its dual-fuel fleet grew from 26 to 35 ships, most of them LNG-fuelled, not counting LNG carriers.
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MOL has taken delivery of the 95,311 dwt Maizuru Kazenomai, built by Oshima Shipbuilding. It runs on LNG dual-fuel and has a hard sail, the first coal carrier in Japan to have one. It will carry coal to Kansai Electric Power's Maizuru plant.
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Wallenius Wilhelmsen has ordered four LNG dual-fuel car and truck carriers of 9,900 CEU each from Jinling Shipyard, with deliveries from mid-2030. Options cover eight more ships for 2031 and 2032, about $1.5bn in total if all are taken.
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SEA-LNG has signed a four-year agreement making the Methane Abatement in Maritime Innovation Initiative (MAMII) its technical knowledge partner at the IMO. MAMII experts on measuring and cutting methane slip can join SEA-LNG's delegation in working groups ahead of MEPC 85.
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DNV figures show 69 alternative-fuel ship orders in September, the most in one month since October 2024. LNG took 48, across container ships, car carriers, bulk carriers and ro-ro ships. The third quarter totalled 168.
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A 174,000 m³ LNG carrier for a K Line and Toho Gas joint venture was named on 9 September 2026. Its two-stroke dual-fuel engine is designed to run mainly on LNG; delivery was planned for October 2026.
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Two LNG-fuelled cruise ships had methane slip measured on board (1.67% and 1.48%) verified and accepted by their flag state, instead of the 3.1% FuelEU default. The method follows IMO resolution MEPC.402(83).
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IMO rules for gas-fuelled ships, plus the EU rules that apply to LNG-fuelled ships calling at EU ports.
In an open letter dated 27 October, 13 civil society groups asked the IMO Secretary-General to confirm that his 21 October remarks on lower-slip engines and biofuels do not prejudge how LNG is treated under the Net-Zero Framework. Talks resume on 23 November.
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Fiji, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu told the IMO greenhouse gas working group that the Net-Zero Framework needs a fund that pays ships directly for using zero and near-zero fuels. They argue that China's proposed fuel multipliers cannot replace it.
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In the first FuelEU Maritime compliance year about 92% of ships used pooling, with surplus trading near EUR 208 per tonne CO2eq against a EUR 640 penalty. LNG is estimated to have delivered about a third of the cuts needed.
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MSC 111 (13 to 22 May 2026) approved IGF Code and SOLAS changes that keep gas carriers out of the IGF Code (one ship, one code) and align the gas-fuel and low-flashpoint fuel definitions. They are expected to enter into force on 1 July 2028.
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From 2026 the EU emissions trading system for shipping covers methane and nitrous oxide as well as CO2. Companies surrender allowances for 70% of their 2025 emissions in 2026 and for 100% from 2027.
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MEPC 84 (27 April to 1 May 2026) could not agree a compromise on the Net-Zero Framework and sent the work to two working group meetings. MEPC 85 is planned for 30 November to 3 December, and the adjourned extraordinary session for 4 December 2026.
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Changes adopted at MSC 108 in May 2024 (resolution MSC.551(108)) apply from 1 January 2026. They cover bunkering line design pressure, venting and ventilation, bunker manifolds, tank level gauges and failure of the fuel supply.
Adopted in 2024; listed because it is the rule in force today.
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We check trusted sources (the IMO, class societies, port authorities, industry groups such as SGMF and SEA-LNG, the European Commission and established shipping news sites) and add news about LNG fuel, dual-fuel ships and IMO rules for gas-fuelled ships. Every headline and summary is written in our own words with help from AI, then checked against the source, which is always linked. Dates are the dates shown by the source (for IMO items, the meeting or adoption date). Always read the source, and for compliance follow the official text, your flag and your class society.
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