Nearly 15 years ago, when the first Motorship Gas Fuelled Ships conference was held in Hamburg, liquefied natural gas-fuelled propulsion was seen as a promising novelty, albeit with a limited market.

Fast forward to 2025, and the number of dual-fuel, LNG capable vessels afloat and on order has reached a number that would have seemed staggering in 2010. Then, LNG as fuel was solely the preserve of gas tankers, which could use cargo boil-off as fuel, as well as short-distance coastal ferries, such as those crossing the Norwegian fjords, where suitable and safe refuelling stations could be provided.

Although technology had proved burning gas as well as liquid fuels in the same engine was feasible, LNG was being considered for only a very few mainstream ship types. It was the infrastructure that was regarded as the main hurdle. Add to this the fact that, for ships travelling long distances between bunkering ports, LNG tank volumes would need to be far greater than for conventional fuels.