Orderbook-to-fleet ratio for container shipping to surpass 15pc

PARIS-BASED shipping consultancy Alphaliner suggests that IMO's 2050 decarbonisation deadline and ship lifespans are beginning to play into the minds of owners resulting in container shipping's orderbook-to-fleet ratio is set to surpass 15 per cent as shipping lines pile on the tonnage.

Box shipping's vessel orderbook-to-fleet ratio had steady decreased from 30 per cent in 2010 to 8.8 per cent six months ago, reports Singapore's Splash 247.



But low interest rates and strong competition between shipyards have lined up to prompt non-operating owners, lessors, and ocean carriers to get aboard the newbuilding train, according to the analyst, pointing out that the ratio a few days ago stood at 14.2 per cent and will likely climb above 15 per cent shortly when mooted orders are confirmed.



Orders over the past six months have been predominantly for 12,000-TEU, 15,000-TEU and 24,000-TEU ships. Excluding orders for the intra-China trade, orders for 4,000- to 10,000-TEUers stands at three units.



Hong Kong's Seaspan has been the top owner contracting for tonnage with 31 ships on order. Japan's Shoei Kisen is in second with 16 ships.



In terms of yards, China's Yangzijiang has been the clear winner with contracts for 25 box ships, including its first megamaxes. South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries is in second place with 19 box ships on its books.



The spate of box ships ordered over the past six months is also seeing radical shifts in the global liner rankings. When including their orderbooks, Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) is now on track to overtake Maersk as the world's biggest, while France's CMA CGM is on schedule to reclaim third spot from Cosco.



Another notable climber in the Alphaliner top 100 carrier rankings when factoring in orderbooks is Evergreen from Taiwan. The carrier, which boasts the largest containership orderbook in the world, is set to jump past Japan's Ocean Network Express (ONE) and Germany's Hapag-Lloyd into fifth spot when all its ships deliver, so long as its rivals do not sign for more ships in the interim.


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