Global container ship order book sets a record

According to Alphaliner, the order portfolio among the Top 10 major mainline sea carriers currently includes 431 container ships with a combined capacity of more than 5.9 million TEUs. By the end of summer, the tonnage volume under contracts concluded since the beginning of the year exceeded the parameters of the year 2023.

However, the record tonnage volume of container ships under construction does not mean a proportional increase in the cargo space offers. Almost half of the increase in container tonnage volume will be covered by the decommissioning of the old fleet.

The fleet structure of the 10 largest container lines with a capacity of 2.6 million TEUs falls on 683 vessels over 20 years old. Presuming that a merchant vessel has a normal operating life of 25 years, it would require approximately a half of the current order book to replace such vessels.