Alternative-fuel ship orders rise in September: DNV

Spanish Market: Natural gas, Oil products
01/10/25

New alternative-fuelled ship orders totalled 14 in September, after none in August, Norwegian classification agency DNV said.

Of September's orders, 12 were for LNG-fuelled vessels — six containerships, four bulk carriers, and two in the cruise segment. The other two were for LPG carriers.

All the orders are dual-fuel.

So far in 2025, 192 new orders for alternative-fuelled vessels were placed, down by 48pc compared with the same period in 2024. Of the 2025 orders, 121 are LNG-fuelled vessels. These are followed by methanol-fuelled ships (43), LPG carriers (19), ammonia-fuelled vessels (5), and hydrogen-fuelled ships (4), DNV said.

The container segment is still dominant, accounting for 63pc of the 192 new orders.

DNV forecasts the fleet of alternative-fuelled vessels could almost double by 2028 from 2024. Big shipowners, like Shell and Danish shipping company AP Moller-Maersk, have been investing in alternative-fuelled vessels to comply with international greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions regulations, like FuelEU and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) net-zero framework.

But operators may be waiting for certain decisions, like the IMO's GHG levy proposal vote in October.

"Uncertainties around the IMO's Net-Zero Framework, including lifecycle assessment factors for certain fuels, are prompting many owners to adopt a 'wait and see' approach to new orders," said DNV Maritime global decarbonisation director Jason Stefanatos. "It is, therefore, essential that the industry receives greater regulatory clarity in the coming months."

By Natália Coelho

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13/11/25

API pitches revamp of biofuel exemptions: Update

Updates throughout New York, 13 November (Argus) — The American Petroleum Institute (API) is pitching the White House and biofuel groups on a total revamp of how the US exempts oil companies from a program that requires biofuel blending, according to three people familiar with the lobbying group's work. API recently withdrew its support for a bill that would authorize 15pc ethanol gasoline (E15) year-round on its frustrations with changes to biofuel policy this year that oil companies see as too friendly to farmers and to some small refining competitors. The US for instance recently granted small oil refiners generous hardship waivers from a biofuel blend mandate and proposed requiring larger companies to blend more biofuels in future years as an offset. API's pitch — shared at a White House meeting this week — would require that companies seeking program exemptions must show that economic hardship stems directly from the biofuel program, a more stringent requirement than today, according to two of the people familiar with the group's work. Exemptions would also be restricted to companies with limited collective refining capacity, cutting off larger enterprises like Delek and Par Pacific that own multiple small units that qualify now. Smaller companies like Ergon and Kern Oil could still request waivers, but the total pool of potentially exempted gas and diesel volumes would be far lower. The oil group then wants the US to prohibit hiking other oil companies' blend requirements to offset those exemptions, a tougher sell to biofuel and crop groups that fear unchecked program waivers curb demand for their products. Larger merchant refiners that do not qualify for small refinery relief have also long pushed lawmakers for updates to the program and would not benefit from this proposal. API's idea is to pass legislation pairing updates to the small refinery exemption program with year-round authorization of E15, generally prohibited in the summer without emergency waivers because of summertime fuel volatility restrictions that do not apply to typical 10pc ethanol gasoline. That's a top priority for ethanol companies, otherwise at risk from an increasingly efficient and electric light-duty vehicle fleet. Congress last year nearly passed narrower E15 legislation, which API supported at the time but no longer does without more changes. Courts have struck down past attempts by federal officials to authorize E15 without emergency declarations and to drastically restrict biofuel exemption eligibility, likely limiting what President Donald Trump's administration can do without new legislation. API made the pitch to the White House this week, the sources familiar with API's work said. The White House is hosting other groups for meetings on fuel policy, including another one on Thursday on E15 that featured biofuel groups. Officials from across Trump's administration, including the US Department of Agriculture, have attended. "Administration officials hosted listening sessions with biofuel groups, agriculture and oil refiners to discuss their proposals on year-round E15", a source familiar with the matter said. It is not clear that biofuel advocates, insistent that the Trump administration entirely offset the impact of recent refinery exemptions, are open to the attempted compromise. The ethanol group Renewable Fuels Association declined to comment on E15 talks. Regulatory tweaks to boost ethanol supply would also do little on their own to help producers of other biofuels like renewable diesel. API declined to elaborate on what was discussed at any meetings with the Trump administration. "We appreciate the administration's leadership in bringing stakeholders together to advance a practical solution on E15 and small refinery exemption reform", API said. "We look forward to continuing to work together to advance a framework that supports fuel choice, strengthens the refining and agricultural sectors, and helps ensure a stable, reliable supply for American consumers." Under the Renewable Fuel Standard, the US requires oil refiners and importers to annually blend different types of biofuels or buy credits from those that do. The administration is late setting new biofuel quotas for 2026 but is expected to do so in the coming months, kicking off a flurry of last-minute lobbying about future volumes, exemptions and potential cuts to credits from foreign fuels and feedstocks. By Cole Martin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Turkey could be LNG gateway for east Europe

13/11/25

Turkey could be LNG gateway for east Europe

London, 13 November (Argus) — Turkey has higher LNG regasification capacity than Greece, but the country's rising consumption is weighing on excess gas for export and its closed market creates challenges for traders, while Greece faces grid congestion issues but has promising investments and a more open market. Greece has a 5.4mn t/yr LNG import terminal at Revithoussa, which could feed the grid with a maximum of 82 TWh/yr if operating at full capacity. Additionally, there is a 4.3mn t/yr terminal at Alexandroupolis, with a theoretical capacity of 66 TWh/yr. Combined, Greece's LNG processing capacity totals 9.7mn t/yr, equal to 148 TWh/yr, or — using Desfa's conversion rate — about 12.7bn m³/yr. But both terminals operate at much lower utilisation rates. Revithoussa supplied 18.2TWh to the grid throughout 2024, averaging 50 GWh/d. Traders said that LNG prices were less competitive than Russian pipeline gas during that year. And Revithoussa's sendout increased to 79 GWh/d during the first 10 months of this year, which, if sustained for the full year, would be roughly 29TWh. While low sendout indicates spare capacity at Revithoussa, Greek infrastructure constraints remain. The country faces compression limitations both south-north and east-west. With the recently added compression station at Komotini, Desfa announced that northward export capacity has been raised to 8.5bn m³/yr, or about 99 TWh/yr. This figure is the maximum export capacity at the Sidirokastro and Komotini interconnection points, but delivering gas to these points can still be problematic. For Revithoussa supply, the Ampelia compressor station, located in central Greece, is critical. Desfa had stated that this project would be completed in the last quarter of this year, but no update has yet been provided. And Alexandroupolis went offline for extended maintenance in January this year soon after it started operations. Its operator was only able to increase its maximum sendout capacity to 75pc of its technical limit by late October. In any event, a bottleneck persists in the northern Greek system. Capacity at the Amfitriti point, where Alexandroupolis supply enters the grid, will be capped at 44 GWh/d through the 2025-30 gas years — about 16 TWh/yr or 1.4bn m³/yr — according to Desfa . Turkey as an alternative supply route? Turkey currently operates five LNG import terminals, three FSRU-based and two onshore facilities, with a total sendout capacity of 161mn m³/d. Overall sendout capacity equals 625 TWh/yr, more than four times Greece's total, based on Turkish state-run Botas' conversion rate. The Strandzha 1/Malkoclar point, which directly connects the Turkish to the Bulgarian grid, has a technical outflow capacity of 43 TWh/yr and remains underutilised. Firms exported a total of 16.3TWh at the point to Bulgaria in the first 10 months of this year, and 18.8TWh in all of 2024. Turkish energy minister Alparslan Bayraktar and senior Botas executives have stated multiple times that they can increase the capacity two to four times in a short period, provided there are long-term commitments from potential European buyers. This suggests an export potential of 10bn m³/yr in the short term, in theory exceeding Greek export capacity. That said, record high Turkish consumption in the past winter , and scope for further growth might weigh on excess supply for export. Turkey's main drawbacks include a closed market and heavy dominance by a single actor. Although regulator EPDK maintains a regulatory framework on paper comparable to western Europe, according to many traders, Botas holds clear dominance in practice. Transparency remains low, and the lack of a free trade forces companies to rely on Botas. These factors lowered Turkey's rating in Energy Traders Europe's 2025 report , while Greece rose. Bulgarian transit Bulgaria is working to develop its south-north transport capacity. Bulgarian state-owned supplier Bulgargaz and Botas signed a 13-year deal in January 2023 for Bulgarian access to Turkish LNG terminals. Bulgargaz can transfer up to 1.5bn m³/yr of gas from the Turkish transmission system to Bulgaria through Malkoclar under this agreement, but this agreement has occasionally been criticised and underutilised . And the inflow capacity from Greece via the Kulata/Sidirokasto will initially reach 37.2 TWh/yr, equal to 3.5bn m³/yr, over the next few years, according to the Bulgarian operator's most recent 10-year plan . The Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria also provides 3bn m³/yr, but its capacity will not increase in the short term . This means that Bulgaria is initially targeting import capacity of 6.5bn m³/yr from Greece. By Ugur Yildirim Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

API pitches revamp of small refinery biofuel waivers

13/11/25

API pitches revamp of small refinery biofuel waivers

New York, 13 November (Argus) — The American Petroleum Institute (API) is pitching the White House and biofuel groups on a total revamp of how the US exempts oil companies from a program that requires biofuel blending, according to three people familiar with the lobbying group's work. The API recently withdrew its support for a bill that would authorize 15pc ethanol gasoline (E15) year-round on its frustrations with changes to biofuel policy this year that oil companies see as too friendly to farmers and to some small refining competitors. The US for instance recently granted small oil refiners generous hardship waivers from a biofuel blend mandate and proposed requiring larger companies to blend more biofuels in future years as an offset. API's pitch would require that companies seeking program exemptions must show that economic hardship stems directly from the biofuel program, a more stringent requirement than today, according to two of the people familiar with the group's work. Exemptions would also be restricted to small companies with limited collective refining capacity, cutting off larger enterprises like Delek that own multiple small units that qualify today. The oil group then wants the US to prohibit hiking other oil companies' blend requirements to offset those exemptions, a tougher sell to biofuel and crop groups that fear unchecked program waivers curb demand for their products. Larger independent refiners that do not qualify for small refinery relief have also long pushed lawmakers for updates to the program and would not benefit from this deal. API's idea is to pass legislation pairing updates to the small refinery exemption program with year-round authorization of E15, generally prohibited in the summer without emergency waivers because of summertime fuel volatility restrictions that do not apply to typical 10pc ethanol gasoline. That's a top priority for ethanol companies, otherwise at risk from an increasingly efficient and electric light-duty vehicle fleet. E15 legislation nearly passed Congress last year. API made the pitch to the White House at a meeting this week, the sources familiar with API's work said. The White House is hosting other groups for meetings on fuel policy, including another one today on E15 that will feature biofuel groups. API declined to comment on any meetings with President Donald Trump's administration. "We appreciate the administration's leadership in bringing stakeholders together to advance a practical solution on E15 and small refinery exemption reform", the group said. "We look forward to continuing to work together to advance a framework that supports fuel choice, strengthens the refining and agricultural sectors, and helps ensure a stable, reliable supply for American consumers." By Cole Martin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Mexico climate pledge clashes with refinery push

13/11/25

Mexico climate pledge clashes with refinery push

Houston, 13 November (Argus) — Mexico's updated climate pledge sets its most ambitious emissions target, but the plan sits in sharp contrast to the government's push to increase crude processing and fuel output at state-owned Pemex's refinery system. Mexico submitted its new nationally determined contribution (NDC) ahead of this month's UN Cop 30 summit in Belem, Brazil, committing for the first time to an absolute cap on greenhouse gas emissions of 364–404mn t of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) by 2035, or 332–363mn t CO2e with international support. The target represents a cut of more than 50pc from a business-as-usual trajectory, according to the environment ministry, and aligns with Mexico's long-term commitment to reach net zero by 2050. But while Mexico promises steep emissions reductions, it is simultaneously doubling down on a fossil-heavy industrial strategy centered on reviving its aging refining system, boosting domestic output of gasoline and diesel and limiting private-sector participation across the downstream chain. Mexico's refineries — most of which regularly run at below 50–60pc of capacity — remain among Mexico's largest stationary emitters, with high rates of flaring, residual fuel oil production and energy inefficiency. The government has also poured billions of dollars into the new 340,000 b/d Olmeca refinery and continues to prioritize increasing crude throughput at the legacy system, even as maintenance shortfalls, outages and unplanned shutdowns remain common. Pemex processed about 950,000 b/d of crude across its seven domestic refineries in September, up by 8pc from a year prior and 57pc higher than the 604,300 b/d processed in September 2018, before former president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took office. Mexico's refining-heavy strategy took shape under Lopez Obrador, who made fuel self-sufficiency the centerpiece of his administration after years of under-investment and declining output at Pemex's refining system. His government moved away from the 2014 energy reform and proposed constitutional changes that would free Pemex from its obligation to operate as a "productive state company." The shift enabled greater political influence over Pemex's operations and reinforced a nationalistic focus on refining, even as the company posted financial losses and saw its crude output fall to 40-year lows. President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration has continued that trajectory. Backed by a congressional supermajority that allows her party to advance Lopez Obrador's reforms, Sheinbaum has maintained the emphasis on fuel self-sufficiency and continued to expand Pemex's role through increased state support. Mexico's NDC frames climate policy as compatible with economic development, job creation and "just transition" principles. But the plan is still vague on specific mitigation actions for the refining sector. "Mexico's ambition is clear, but delivering on these goals will require deep structural transformation and a clear, sustained investment strategy," said Francisco Barnes Regueiro, executive director of the environmental non-governmental organization the World Resources Institute in Mexico. Meanwhile, the government maintains policies and proposed reforms that favor Pemex and state utility CFE over private-sector companies, limiting private investment in cleaner fuels and renewable electricity. The lack of incentives for low-carbon technologies, combined with an aggressive push to increase domestic production of gasoline and diesel, contradicts the technical requirements implied by the emissions cap, according to market sources. The contradiction becomes more pronounced as Mexico prepares for the Cop 30 negotiations. Mexico, which now joins more than 50 countries that have updated their NDCs, will likely face scrutiny over how its energy agenda fits within its climate ambitions. For now, the gap between Mexico's stated targets and its refining-focused policy framework remains wide. Without clear measures to reduce emissions from Pemex's refining system, expand low-carbon fuels and introduce stronger regulatory incentives, the new NDC risks becoming another aspirational document. Pemex's crude throughput '000b/d Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Cop: Report says 2035 targets 'make no difference'

13/11/25

Cop: Report says 2035 targets 'make no difference'

Edinburgh, 13 November (Argus) — The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to 2035 — climate plans and targets submitted to the UN — have made little difference on curbing temperature increases, according to a Climate Action Tracker (CAT) report released today led by the NewClimate Institute. The CAT report's '2030 and 2035 targets scenario' estimates the climate targets submitted to mid-November keep global warming at 2.6°C above pre-industrial levels, the same as last year. The Paris Agreement signed 10 years ago seeks to limit the rise in global temperature to "well below" 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and preferably to 1.5°C. In the CAT report's 'pledges and targets' scenario — which includes 2030 and 2035 NDCs and longer-term net zero targets — the outcome has slightly worsened to 2.2°C from 2.1°C previously, mostly as a result of the US withdrawal from the Paris accord. "The US' withdrawal from the Paris Agreement has had really devastating effects at weakening the global momentum, and the impact of it is not fully reflected in the numbers," NewClimate Institute policy analyst Ana Missirliu said. The report shows that emissions under current NDCs are projected to reach 53-57 Gt of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) in 2030 and 48-52 Gt CO2e in 2035. This is above the levels consistent with a 1.5°C pathway, which would require emissions to fall to 27 Gt CO2e by 2030 and 21 Gt CO2e by 2035, according to the NewClimate Institute. "Almost none of the 40 governments the CAT analyses have updated their 2030 target, which is critical to keep warming levels below 1.5°C, nor have they set out the kind of action in new 2035 targets needed to change course," the report said. The report also found that some major emitters' targets, including the EU, fail to translate into a step-up in ambitions. The EU has introduced the use of international carbon credits to reach some of its recently agreed target to cut GHG emissions by 90 by 2040, from 1990 levels. "We have a lot of countries, and quite a lot of G20 countries, including Brazil and China, which won't have to put forward more policies to achieve their targets," Missirliu said. China has submitted a 2035 target the country can already achieve, she added. Other countries, such as the UAE, have very ambitious targets but lack the policy or policy signals to show that they can achieve them, she added. Global emissions continue to grow year-on-year, and will grow again next year, NewClimate Institute said. In China, the world's largest emitter, and India, where renewables are expanding significantly, projected emissions have gone up compared with the previous report, as energy demand and fossil fuel use continues to grow. The gap between countries' targets and the 1.5°C pathway is widening. "Even if all current NDCs and long-term targets were fully implemented, global emissions in 2035 would still be more than double the level required for 1.5°C compatibility," the report said. "The longer we wait, the more the gap grows," NewClimate Institute policy expert Kilas Hohne said. "At the heart of this crisis of inaction is the continued expansion of fossil fuel production and consumption," the report said. Countries in 2023 agreed to a call to transition away from fossil fuels but many are still expanding coal, oil and gas. The current growth rate for renewable energy is not yet aligned with the global call to triple renewables by 2030, from 2019 levels, but a growing number of countries are accelerating their transition, including Chile, Colombia, India, Ethiopia, Morocco and Switzerland, according to the NewClimate Institute. By Caroline Varin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Alternative-fuel ship orders rise in September: DNV

Related news posts

API pitches revamp of biofuel exemptions: Update

API pitches revamp of biofuel exemptions: Update

Turkey could be LNG gateway for east Europe

Turkey could be LNG gateway for east Europe

API pitches revamp of small refinery biofuel waivers

API pitches revamp of small refinery biofuel waivers

Mexico climate pledge clashes with refinery push

Mexico climate pledge clashes with refinery push

Cop: Report says 2035 targets 'make no difference'

Cop: Report says 2035 targets 'make no difference'

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