Carriers have ordered some 1.75M TEU of additional fleet capacity – with decarbonisation driving this ordering frenzy. Alphaliner said the global vessel orderbook is at a ‘record’ high of 7.88M TEU, equivalent to almost 29% of today’s fleet capacity. This tonnage equates to 187 ships.
Green Shipping
Alphaliner’s latest newsletter said the main reason behind the orders is “the desire to decarbonize liner shipping that drives the ordering frenzy”.
It said methanol-powered ships represented 52% of all new capacity ordered this year, while LNG-powered newbuildings accounted for 31% of the 2023 orders, bringing the total share of green ships to 83%.
In September, LNG-powered container ships made up 28% of the container ship orderbook, while methanol duel-fuel ships accounted for 19%, according to Alphaliner.
Decarbonization Goals
Alphaliner added a second reason for the ordering, “Most carriers are still sitting on large amounts of cash after having made record profits in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Orders this year include those from CMA CGM, for a mix of LNG propulsion and methanol dual-fuel ships; Evergreen, which has plumped for methanol for 24 16,000-TEU ships; MSC, with orders for LNG-fuelled vessels; and Maersk, which has ordered six more methanol-fuelled ships.
Alphaliner commented, “With another 76 methanol dual-fuel vessels ordered this year, bringing the total to 139 units, the decarbonisation challenge will be moving from the vessel to the strategic procurement of sustainable fuels.”
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Source: Riviera
