Large jump by containership fleet in 2012

Next year could see the largest influx ever of TEU in the containership fleet, according to U.K-based charter and ship broker Braemar Seascope.

In Braemar Seascope’s latest Containership Fleet Statistics, it expects containrership deliveries to reach 1.55m TEU in 2012, surpassing the previous record of 1.52m TEU set in 2007. This will lead to a 9.5% fleet capacity expansion for 2012, increasing the available TEU to 16.8 million.

Of particular note is the number of ultra-large containerships that will enter the fleet next year. Of the 230 ships due for delivery in 2012, more than a quarter—59–will have a nominal container capacity of 10,000 TEU or more. This will introduce an additional 0.8m TEU to this segment. Fleet growth for the 10,000 TEU plus size bracket is expected to reach 70% year on year for 2011 and a further 57% in 2012.

Bearing in mind that the vast majority of ultra-large containerships are currently deployed on Asia – Europe services, next year’s delivery influx would be sufficient tonnage to create another five loops deploying ten 13,000 TEU vessels.

Next year’s influx does not include Maersk’s new Triple-E Class 18,000 TEU ships. The first of those will be delivered by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in 2013.

In the smaller boxship segment, up to and including 5,100 TEU capacity, it is a very different story, says Braemar Seascope. Growth is expected to reach only 2.9% this year before hitting 3.0% in 2012.

Since January 2010, owners have ordered 1.7 million TEU capacity of boxships with a capacity of 5,100 TEU or more compared with 0.4 million TEU of smaller ships (below 5,100 TEU).

Meanwhile, ultra-large containerships of 10,000 TEU or more comprise 49% of the global orderbook by capacity whereas containerships up to 5,100 TEU represent only 20% of the global orderbook. Since the KG market has largely exited the newbuilding arena, investment in smaller containerships has been lackluster. However, Braemar expects renewed interested in feedermax tonnage once the current cycle of investment in post-Panamax ships has waned.

July 11, 2011