Wärtsilä Gas Solutions has been awarded a contract to supply cargo handling and fuel gas supply systems for two new LNG bunkering vessels currently under construction at Zhejiang Xinle Shipbuilding in China.

The vessels, each with a capacity of 20,000m³, will be owned by a Hong Kong-based shipowner. The order was booked in Q4 2025 and reinforces Wärtsilä Gas Solutions’ position as a leading systems integrator for small-scale LNG applications.

The contract covers a comprehensive systems package including LNG cargo handling and fuel gas supply equipment, full system engineering and design, and integrated control and monitoring of all cargo handling operations. This level of systems integration is critical in bunkering vessel design, where operational reliability and safety margins are paramount.

“The use of LNG is key in enabling a green shipping future,” said Barry Yang, general manager of sales China at Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, adding that the systems offer a flexible and proven solution supporting operational efficiency for vessels bunkering LNG-fuelled ships.

The vessels will fill an increasingly important role in the marine energy transition. LNG continues to be adopted as a bridging fuel between conventional diesel and future zero-carbon alternatives, driving demand for purpose-built bunkering infrastructure.

Equipment delivery to the Zhejiang Xinle yard is scheduled to commence in Q4 2026, with both vessels expected to enter service during the latter half of 2027.

The number of LNG-fuelled ships in operation doubled between 2021 and 2024, with a record number of deliveries (169) in 2024, according to DNV, a Norway-based independent assurance and risk management provider. By the end of last year, 641 LNG-powered ships were in operation. According to the orderbook, this number is expected to double by the end of the decade.

While the bunkering infrastructure for some alternative fuels remains underdeveloped, DNV said LNG bunkering is maturing, adding that the significant gap between LNG bunkering supply and demand is expected to widen over the next five years based on the orderbook.

This article appeared in News, TNA Mar/Apr 2026