There has never been so many ships under the Danish flag as now. Pr. 1 October there were 644 Danish-flagged merchant ships with a total capacity of 15.85 million dwt, which is a record high. This is shown by the latest figures from the Danish Shipowners Association.
“I see the positive trend as a clear indicator of the high quality, the Danish registry has, and the sensible and stable maritime framework we have in Denmark,” says Anne H. Steffensen, CEO of the Danish Shipowners Association.
Since January 1 there have been registered a growth of almost nine percent in the Danish merchant fleet, measured in deadweight tonnage.
The growth in the number of ships under the Danish flag looks set to continue into 2015, there has been an increase in the Danish shipowners new building orders, of which a large part of the ships will be included in the Danish-flagged merchant. Pr. 1 October 2014 there were 99 ships on order, which is six more than at the end of the year.
“With the planned deliveries in the third quarter, we will be around 16.5 million dwt at the end of the year. At the same time, Danish shipyards will be matching last year’s record earnings of over 200 billion kroner this year despite very low freight rates in almost all segments. It reflects the strong competitiveness of Danish shipping, “says Anne H. Steffensen.
The total for the Danish-controlled fleet is about 1,800 ships.