Eric Wu’s Post

According to Alphaliner, the global container fleet has achieved a milestone of 30 million TEUs, driven by significant deliveries from Asian shipyards. Braemar Shipbrokers noted robust demand with ongoing negotiations for new shipbuilding contracts extending into 2029 from major Chinese yards. BIMCO forecasts 478 container ships delivering 3.1 million TEUs in 2024, a 41% increase from 2023. Meanwhile, CMA CGM plans a $3.5 billion investment in 20 new ships from Hyundai Heavy Industries, including LNG-powered vessels totaling 256,000 TEU. Delivery is expected between 2027-2028, positioning CMA CGM to surpass Maersk as the world's second-largest liner with 5,034,564 TEU capacity.

According to Alphaliner, the global container fleet has achieved a milestone of 30 million TEUs, driven by significant deliveries from Asian shipyards. Braemar Shipbrokers noted robust demand with ongoing negotiations for new shipbuilding contracts extending into 2029 from major Chinese yards. BIMCO forecasts 478 container ships delivering 3.1 million TEUs in 2024, a 41% increase from 2023. Meanwhile, CMA CGM plans a $3.5 billion investment in 20 new ships from Hyundai Heavy Industries, including LNG-powered vessels totaling 256,000 TEU. Delivery is expected between 2027-2028, positioning CMA CGM to surpass Maersk as the world's second-largest liner with 5,034,564 TEU capacity.

Hapag-Lloyd contracts two Chinese yards for boxships worth up to $5.25bn. Hapag-Lloyd has selected two Chinese yards for its next fleet expansion, orders that total $5.25bn if all options are exercised, making it one of the largest containership orders in history. Broker Intermodal reports the German carrier has contracted Yangzijiang Shipbuilding to build 10 firm plus five options 17,000 teu LNG dual-fuelled ships, costing $210m each. The ships will have 1,600 reefer slots each. The Rolf Habben Jensen-led line has also contracted New Times Shipbuilding to build 10 firm plus five options 9,200 teu vessels – also LNG dual fuelled – in a deal that is costing the Hamburg company $140m a ship. The orders, adding up to 393,000 slots, will cement Hapag-Lloyd’s position as the fifth largest containerline in the world and come less than four months away from the moment the carrier ditches its Asian peers at THE Alliance to form the Gemini Cooperation with Maersk. Germany’s top carrier unveiled its medium-term business plans through to 2030 in April this year, which include an aggressive fleet growth with the line’s CEO, Habben Jensen, claiming the goals were the company’s “most ambitious strategy to date”.

Hapag-Lloyd contracts two Chinese yards for boxships worth up to $5.25bn Hapag-Lloyd has selected two Chinese yards for its next fleet expansion, orders that total $5.25bn if all options are exercised, making it one of the largest containership orders in history. Broker Intermodal reports the German carrier has contracted Yangzijiang Shipbuilding to build 10 firm plus five options 17,000 teu LNG dual-fuelled ships, costing $210m each. The ships will have 1,600 reefer slots each. The Rolf Habben Jensen-led line has also contracted New Times Shipbuilding to build 10 firm plus five options 9,200 teu vessels – also LNG dual fuelled – in a deal that is costing the Hamburg company $140m a ship.  The orders, adding up to 393,000 slots, will cement Hapag-Lloyd’s position as the fifth largest containerline in the world and come less than four months away from the moment the carrier ditches its Asian peers at THE Alliance to form the Gemini Cooperation with Maersk. Germany’s top carrier unveiled its medium-term business plans through to 2030 in April this year, which include an aggressive fleet growth with the line’s CEO, Rolf Habben Jensen claiming the goals were the company’s “most ambitious strategy to date”. 

𝐌𝐒𝐂 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝟏𝟎-𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 Gianluigi Aponte’s Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) has continued its newbuilding spree with a maiden order at Hengli Heavy Industry. The Swiss-based liner giant has signed up for a series of 10 LNG dual-fuelled containerships of 21,000 teu with deliveries likely in 2027. No value has been placed behind the deal, which could, according to the latest shipbuilding trends, top $2.5bn and follows a strategic cooperation framework agreement on a wide range of areas, including newbuilds, engine manufacturing, ship repair, and vessel retrofitting the duo inked in August. MSC, led by Soren Toft, has a fleet in excess of 6m teu, commanding a 20% share of the global operated container fleet. The world’s largest containerline has inked multiple large orders across Chinese shipyards this summer, and before the latest deal, the company’s massive orderbook stood at about 130 ships, which according to Alphaliner figures was projected to boost the fleet by an additional 1.8m slots in the coming years. In related boxship newbuild news, brokers suggest German liner Hapag Lloyd is lining up a series of 9,000 teu and 17,000 teu LNG dual-fuel vessels at yards in China with a letter of intent on the cards in the fourth quarter, while an unnamed Greek owner is in talks for 16,000 teu newbuilds in South Korea for delivery in 2027. As for the fast-growing shipbuilder, formerly known as STX Dalian, for which the MSC deal marks its first containership order, the yard has also recently reserved four VLCC newbuild slots for Hengli Group — the second supertanker order from its parent company — with deliveries set for 2026 and 2027.

𝐌𝐒𝐂 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝟏𝟎-𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 Gianluigi Aponte’s Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) has continued its newbuilding spree with a maiden order at Hengli Heavy Industry. The Swiss-based liner giant has signed up for a series of 10 LNG dual-fuelled containerships of 21,000 teu with deliveries likely in 2027. No value has been placed behind the deal, which could, according to the latest shipbuilding trends, top $2.5bn and follows a strategic cooperation framework agreement on a wide range of areas, including newbuilds, engine manufacturing, ship repair, and vessel retrofitting the duo inked in August. MSC, led by Soren Toft, has a fleet in excess of 6m teu, commanding a 20% share of the global operated container fleet. The world’s largest containerline has inked multiple large orders across Chinese shipyards this summer, and before the latest deal, the company’s massive orderbook stood at about 130 ships, which according to Alphaliner figures was projected to boost the fleet by an additional 1.8m slots in the coming years. In related boxship newbuild news, brokers suggest German liner Hapag Lloyd is lining up a series of 9,000 teu and 17,000 teu LNG dual-fuel vessels at yards in China with a letter of intent on the cards in the fourth quarter, while an unnamed Greek owner is in talks for 16,000 teu newbuilds in South Korea for delivery in 2027. As for the fast-growing shipbuilder, formerly known as STX Dalian, for which the MSC deal marks its first containership order, the yard has also recently reserved four VLCC newbuild slots for Hengli Group — the second supertanker order from its parent company — with deliveries set for 2026 and 2027.

Hapag-Lloyd contracts two Chinese yards for boxships worth up to USD 5.25 billion Hapag-Lloyd has selected two Chinese yards for its next fleet expansion, orders that total USD 5.25 billion if all options are exercised, making it one of the largest containership orders in history. Broker Intermodal reports the German carrier has contracted Yangzijiang Shipbuilding to build 10 firm plus five options 17,000 teu LNG dual-fuelled ships, costing $210m each. The ships will have 1,600 reefer slots each. The orders, adding up to 393,000 slots, will cement Hapag-Lloyd’s position as the fifth largest containerline in the world and come less than four months away from the moment the carrier ditches its Asian peers at THE Alliance to form the Gemini Cooperation with Maersk. Germany’s top carrier unveiled its medium-term business plans through to 2030 in April this year, which include an aggressive fleet growth with the line’s CEO, Habben Jensen, claiming the goals were the company’s “most ambitious strategy to date”. https://lnkd.in/gnV8MA7Y 

Hapag-Lloyd contracts two Chinese yards for boxships worth up to USD 5.25 billion Hapag-Lloyd has selected two Chinese yards for its next fleet expansion, orders that total USD 5.25 billion if all options are exercised, making it one of the largest containership orders in history. Broker Intermodal reports the German carrier has contracted Yangzijiang Shipbuilding to build 10 firm plus five options 17,000 teu LNG dual-fuelled ships, costing $210m each. The ships will have 1,600 reefer slots each. The orders, adding up to 393,000 slots, will cement Hapag-Lloyd’s position as the fifth largest containerline in the world and come less than four months away from the moment the carrier ditches its Asian peers at THE Alliance to form the Gemini Cooperation with Maersk. Germany’s top carrier unveiled its medium-term business plans through to 2030 in April this year, which include an aggressive fleet growth with the line’s CEO, Habben Jensen, claiming the goals were the company’s “most ambitious strategy to date”. https://lnkd.in/gnV8MA7Y 

Evalend back for more Yangzijiang product tankers. Greece’s Evalend Shipping has lifted its orderbook for product carriers with a fresh order in China. Multiple shipbroking outfits have named the Kriton Lendoudis-backed diversified owner behind the deal at Yangzijiang Shipbuilding for an MR1 quartet. The 39,000 dwt units, worth $43m each, will add to the Athens-based company’s similar-sized tankers booked at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in July for delivery by June 2026, as well as 50,000 and 75,000 dwt Yangzijiang series ordered earlier for delivery between 2024 and 2026. The latest Yangzijiang units are scheduled for handover between 2027 and 2028. Shipbuilding databases list Evalend with more than 30 newbuilding projects, the majority of which are energy carrier vessels set to join the fleet of over 50 ships, with more than half currently being bulk carriers. https://lnkd.in/ggwuqmRV

We've just hit an all-time high in containership orders by capacity. Alphaliner's latest analysis shows that a big chunk of these new ships will replace older ones, but there’s an interesting twist with Maersk lagging behind its competitors in updating their fleet. Here are some key points: 🔹 The biggest names in the biz have 431 new container ships on order, adding up to over 5.9 million TEU. This huge demand, along with record LNG carrier orders, has pushed tanker and dry bulk owners out of top shipyards in Asia. 🔹 The number one for new builds AND the carrier that has the oldest fleet is MSC 🔹 Additional orders in China are filling up shipyard capacities, which is affecting the availability and pricing for tanker newbuilds. The containership market is getting stronger, making shipyards more selective. 🔹 By the end of August, new containership orders had already surpassed the total for all of 2023, with many more slots booked since then. 🔹 This June, the global liner vessel fleet hit 30 million TEU for the first time ever, showing just how much the industry is growing. 🔹 Nearly half of the ships on order among the top 10 carriers are for replacing older vessels. These companies are still running 683 ships that are 20 years or older, totaling over 2.6 million TEU. 🔹 Maersk has been slower in ordering new ships compared to its peers. But they’ve committed to renewing 800,000 TEU over the next five years, including 500,000 TEU of chartered vessels. Some of these charters haven't been announced yet, which might make their numbers look smaller for now. While we are seeing significant growth in the global container fleet, a major focus is on replacing older vessels, which, fingers crossed, keeps things running smoothly. The shifts in shipyard availability and new orders show how carriers are strategically planning to stay ahead of the game. Have you seen a vessel recently that should probably head straight to the scrapheap? https://lnkd.in/g6ZBeW9K