Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has demonstrated its continued commitment to large-scale fleet growth, placing a new order for six 21,700 TEU container vessels - further evidence that demand for ultra-large container ships among top-tier liner operators remains firmly intact.
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has demonstrated its continued commitment to large-scale fleet growth, placing a new order for six 21,700 TEU container vessels - further evidence that demand for ultra-large container ships among top-tier liner operators remains firmly intact.
According to the latest weekly report published by ship broker Bancosta, MSC has contracted the six vessels with Changhong International, with each unit priced at approximately USD 225 million and delivery scheduled for June 2029.
The commercial relationship between Changhong International and MSC traces its origins to late 2022, when the two parties concluded a shipbuilding agreement for ten 11,500 TEU container vessels - a series that has since been fully delivered and placed into active service. Building on that foundation, MSC subsequently placed additional orders with Changhong International for ten 10,300 TEU vessels, twelve 19,000 TEU vessels, and the current series of 21,700 TEU units. Inclusive of the latest order, the total number of large container ships MSC has contracted with Changhong International now approaches 50 vessels.
According to the latest data from Alphaliner, MSC currently operates a fleet of 1,014 container vessels - comprising 766 owned ships and 248 chartered vessels - with a total capacity of 7.437 million TEU and a global market share of 21.6%. The company's orderbook stands at 164 vessels, representing approximately 2.909 million TEU, equivalent to 39.1% of its existing operational capacity.
Among its peers, CMA CGM holds an orderbook of 163 vessels at approximately 1.734 million TEU, representing 39.3% of its current fleet capacity; Maersk carries 122 vessels on order at approximately 1.702 million TEU, equating to 35.9% of its total capacity; Hapag-Lloyd holds 62 vessels on order at approximately 489,000 TEU, accounting for 20.4% of current capacity; and Ocean Network Express (ONE) maintains an orderbook of 47 vessels at approximately 584,000 TEU, equivalent to 26.8% of its existing fleet.
Measured by orderbook-to-fleet ratio, several growth-oriented carriers stand out with particular clarity. Regional Container Lines (RCL) of Thailand has added four vessels to its orderbook, bringing its total to 29 ships at approximately 148,234 TEU - a figure representing 162.1% of its current fleet capacity. T.S. Lines has accumulated an orderbook of 15 vessels at approximately 69,432 TEU, equal to 55.2% of its existing capacity. Wan Hai Lines and Pacific International Lines (PIL) record orderbook-to-fleet ratios of 80.8% and 64.8% respectively - metrics that signal a deliberate and sustained program of fleet expansion across the mid-tier segment of the container shipping market.
