Containership owners have placed orders for a total of 1.6 million TEU of new capacity since June 2010, surpassing deliveries recorded in the same period which hit 1.4 million TEU, according to the Shipping gazette citing Alphaliner data.
"With all 2011 and most of 2012 delivery slots currently booked, attention now turns to 2013 slots. Scheduled deliveries for 2013 have surged from 380,000 TEU a year ago to 1,590,000 TEU today, and there is still available shipyard capacity for 2013 deliveries. If all current options, letters of intent (LOI) and intended orders were exercised, 2013 vessel deliveries could exceed two million TEU," Alphaliner was quoted saying.
This it said would mark the highest annual level of containership newbuilding on record.
It said Denmark's Maersk Line is waiting to take delivery in 2013 of the world's largest ship, after ordering 10 EEE-class 18,000-TEU ships. Options for 20 additional vessels of the same size have yet to be exercised for 2014-15 delivery. Evergreen has committed to 35 ships of 8,800 TEU (including five chartered units ordered by Costamare), of which 22 are earmarked for delivery in 2013.
Seaspan Corp is said to be holding talks with Chinese and Korean shipyards over placing orders for up to 30 ships of between 10,000 and 14,000 TEU. Nine other ships are due to be delivered by 2012.
The report added that total investments in new containerships since January 2010 has swelled to US$18.8 billion. – Source: Shipping Gazette