LONDON's Drewry Maritime Research says that with a large number of big Ocean Alliance newbuilds in the offing, a seventh loop between Asia and North Europe was 'inevitable', reports London's Loadstar.
The Ocean Alliance, notes Drewry, opted to integrate six new mega ships via slow steaming and cutting port calls, thereby improving reliability, as a way to counter its stronger 2M rival.
The Ocean Alliance partners - CMA CGM, Cosco/OOCL and Evergreen - are responsible for 62 per cent of the 460,000 TEU of mega ship deliveries, with Cosco due to receive twelve 19,200- to 21,200-TEUers in the first half.
'No amount of slow steaming could hide all of that new tonnage and a new standalone Ocean Alliance service was inevitable,' said Drewry.
WORLD SHIPPING
The Ocean Alliance, notes Drewry, opted to integrate six new mega ships via slow steaming and cutting port calls, thereby improving reliability, as a way to counter its stronger 2M rival.
The Ocean Alliance partners - CMA CGM, Cosco/OOCL and Evergreen - are responsible for 62 per cent of the 460,000 TEU of mega ship deliveries, with Cosco due to receive twelve 19,200- to 21,200-TEUers in the first half.
'No amount of slow steaming could hide all of that new tonnage and a new standalone Ocean Alliance service was inevitable,' said Drewry.
WORLD SHIPPING