- MSC has placed significant orders for LNG dual-fuelled containerships, signaling a strong commitment to fleet expansion.
- The total investment for these ships could surpass $6 billion, with expected delivery dates between 2027 and 2028, highlighting MSC’s aggressive growth strategy.
- With a fleet capacity of over six million TEU, MSC is set to enhance its market leadership while promoting global decarbonization by using LNG as an alternative fuel.
According to The Loadstar’s reports, the Swiss-Italian mainline operator is further solidifying its market lead by placing significant orders for new containerships from Chinese shipyards. This recent activity marks a strategic move in the ongoing global shipping landscape.
MSC’s Expansion Fleet
MSC has ordered six 19,000 TEU ships at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS) and eight 11,500 TEU vessels at Penglai Zhongbai Jinglu Ship Industry (Jinglu), with all ships designed to be LNG dual-fuelled. The orders at Jinglu come with options for an additional four vessels, marking this yard’s first foray into constructing larger boxships, as it has primarily produced feeder vessels in the past.
These latest orders follow a previous announcement from Zhoushan Changhong International Shipyard, which revealed that MSC had commissioned 12 LNG dual-fuelled boxships of 19,000 TEU, adding to an earlier batch including ten 11,500 TEU and ten 10,300 TEU ships.
The anticipated delivery window for these new vessels is between 2027 and 2028. While the specifics of the pricing have not been disclosed, VesselsValue estimates suggest that a 17,000 TEU LNG dual-fuelled ship is valued at approximately $205 million. Consequently, MSC’s total expenditure on these new vessels could exceed $6 billion.
MSC Secures Major Vessel Orders
Furthermore, Shipbuilding data indicates that this marks the first significant order for vessels larger than 17,000 TEU at SWS in nearly a decade. The last deal for ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs) was in 2015, when another major shipping line commissioned three 20,000 TEU ships.
Recent reports also indicate MSC’s interest in acquiring ten additional 21,000 TEU ships from Jiangsu Hantong Ship Heavy Industry, indicating that this shipyard would also be stepping into the containership segment for the first time.
MSC’s expansion is reflected in its fleet capacity, which currently exceeds six million TEU. Notably, 3.07 million TEU of this capacity is housed within owned ships, and the carrier’s order book stands at 1.64 million TEU. In contrast, its closest competitors have smaller fleets, with one operating at 4.35 million TEU and another at 3.8 million TEU.
Despite a current record of new container ship deliveries following a series of orders during the pandemic, the Red Sea crisis has ensured that these new vessels remain in high demand. The global containership fleet saw a 5.7% increase in the first half of the year and is projected to grow by 10% overall in 2024, with record deliveries anticipated at 2.9 million TEU.
In line with global decarbonization efforts, shipping operators continue to explore alternative fuels for newbuilds, indicating a strong industry-wide inclination towards LNG as a reliable fuel source.
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Source:The Loadstar
