Maersk has confirmed an order for 26 container vessels of 18,600 TEU capacity, with deliveries scheduled between 2029 and 2030.
Maersk has confirmed an order for 26 container vessels of 18,600 TEU capacity, with deliveries scheduled between 2029 and 2030. The company has yet to disclose specific shipyard assignments or the finer details of the order. Market sources indicate that Hengli Heavy Industry is positioned to receive an order for 20 vessels, with an additional 12 optional slots, while Xinshidai Shipbuilding is set to take on 6 vessels - understood to represent the optional portion of an 8+6 vessel order for 18,600 TEU ships placed in February 2026.
Vespucci Maritime analyst and founder Lars Jensen has noted that, given the delivery window of 2029 to 2030, the new order does not alter prevailing market expectations that CMA CGM could overtake Maersk as early as 2027.
The latest data from Alphaliner positions the current orderbook landscape as follows: Mediterranean Shipping Company holds orders for 164 vessels totalling approximately 2.909 million TEU, representing 39.1% of its existing capacity; Maersk's orderbook has grown to 120 vessels at approximately 1.691 million TEU, equating to 35.6% of its current fleet; CMA CGM maintains 163 vessels on order at approximately 1.734 million TEU, or 39.3% of existing capacity; Hapag-Lloyd holds 63 vessels at approximately 491,000 TEU, accounting for 20.5% of its fleet; and Ocean Network Express carries orders for 47 vessels at approximately 584,000 TEU, representing 26.8% of its present capacity.
According to Lars Jensen, it remains premature to assess whether Maersk can reclaim the number two global position after 2030, as the outcome will depend on a combination of factors including scrapping rates, the disposition of owned vessels, and shifts within its chartered fleet. Jensen further noted that the newly ordered vessels - sized below the 24,000 TEU ultra-large container ships that currently dominate newbuilding activity - offer considerably greater deployment flexibility across a broader range of trade lanes, positioning Maersk to respond more effectively to network adjustments and evolving market conditions.
Several regional carriers are simultaneously pursuing aggressive growth strategies, as measured by the ratio of orderbook to existing fleet capacity. Regional Container Lines of Thailand holds orders for 28 vessels totalling approximately 143,852 TEU, equivalent to 157.3% of its current operating capacity. T.S. Lines carries 15 vessels on order at approximately 69,432 TEU, representing 55.2% of its existing fleet. Wan Hai Lines and Pacific International Lines report orderbook-to-fleet ratios of 78.3% and 64.8% respectively, both signalling substantial and deliberate fleet expansion trajectories.
Taken in aggregate, Lars Jensen observed that the container shipping market continues to consolidate further around the top four global liner operators - a structural trend that the current wave of orderbook activity serves only to reinforce.
