381 new containerships, the equivalent of 3.4 million TEUs, have been ordered so far this year. This is the first time the orderbook has reached such heights in such a short period of time; in eight months. This is confirmed by BIMCO in its analysis of the container traffic market.
Skyrocketing freight rates and a growing demand for transport by sea have prompted an increasing number of shipowners to look for new tonnage to put on the market.
Overall, the order book now stands at 619 newbuildings, representing a total of 5.3 million TEUs that will be added to the world fleet from 2023. 3 million TEUs will be delivered between 2023 and 2024. BIMCO points out that the record delivery year dates back to 2015 when 1.66 million TEUs entered active service on global container line networks.
The 16,000 TEU ships are the most popular. They are large but, unlike the 23/24,000 TEU vessels, they are more versatile and can be better adapted to suit commercial needs.
Between February and June, five different owners ordered a total of 60 16,000 TEU boxships. In the first seven-and-a-half months of 2021, only 22 ULCS were ordered.
Translation by Giles Foster
