Industry coalition SEA-LNG has published its annual ‘View from the Bridge’ report, highlighting 2025 as a year of strong growth in liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied biomethane (bioLNG), and e-methane emissions reductions, costs, and availability.
This year’s report, “The Journey”, highlights a decade of progress towards a cleaner future powered by over US$150 billion of investment to increase the use of liquefied methane as a marine fuel.
With LNG-powered vessels ordered in 2025 accounting for 79 percent of alternative-fuelled tonnage, up from 67 percent in 2024, the LNG-powered global fleet, both operating and on order, including LNG carriers, today represents 10 percent of the global fleet by dead weight tonnage.
SEA-LNG’s messaging is built upon sound science and the professional expertise and experience of the coalition’s members. So, despite the environmental and regulatory tumult experienced by the maritime industry, our voice has remained consistent over the last decade. In a world increasingly filled with AI content, being a credible and trusted advocate for a cleaner future is more important than ever, noted Ian Aitchison, Communications Director at SEA-LNG.
From niche to mainstream alternative marine fuel
From a niche solution used by vessels in Northern Europe in 2016, today LNG is a globally utilised mainstream marine fuel.
Its energy density, availability, lower regulatory compliance costs, and commercial optionality give it an advantage over other alternative marine fuels.
2025 is the year the methane decarbonisation pathway became a clear runway. The year our advocacy for LNG as a transition fuel from fossil LNG through liquefied biomethane to liquefied e-methane took off, with record amounts of bioLNG powering global shipping today and growing strongly into the future, said Steve Esau, COO of SEA-LNG.
Global availability
LNG bunkering is now offered in 222 ports globally. The number of bunkering vessels has increased from a single vessel in 2016 to over 62 in 2025, with a strong order book of 38.
The report also highlights rapid developments in bioLNG, with new research mapping bioLNG bunkering availability and the nascent e-methane supply.
The ‘View from the Bridge’ sets out the tenets of technology-neutral global regulations that would balance commerciality and sustainability.
It calls for a global regulatory system that rewards clean fuel supply chains, protects first movers, and is practical and realistic, considering the global maritime industry.
After a year of regulatory drama exposing the complexity of the task faced by the IMO, the need for a single global decarbonisation framework is greater than ever. This framework must be goal-based and technology-neutral. It must allow some flexibility so companies can plan their fleet modernisation. We need a framework which is practical and realistic, incentivising solutions that are scalable and investable, said Peter Keller, Chairman of SEA-LNG.
