Danish shipping group Maersk confirmed on Friday it had ordered 26 large container vessels as part of its ongoing fleet renewal programme, ending days of speculation in shipbroking circles over a major newbuilding spree. A Maersk spokesperson said the vessels will have a capacity of 18,600 TEU and will be equipped with dual-fuel engines able to operate on liquefied gas, with deliveries scheduled across 2029 and 2030. The carrier has not disclosed which shipyards will build the vessels or the value of the contracts, though market sources had linked the negotiations to Chinese builders including New Times Shipbuilding and Hengli Heavy Industries.
The order follows an eight-vessel contract Maersk placed with New Times Shipbuilding in February for ships of the same 18,600 TEU specification, also for delivery in 2029 and 2030, meaning the carrier’s newbuilding pipeline for this vessel class has now more than tripled. According to market intelligence provider Linerlytica, Maersk now has roughly 1.5 million TEU on order, representing about a third of its existing fleet, up sharply from levels seen just weeks earlier. The renewed ordering appetite comes after Maersk raised its full-year earnings guidance in mid-August following a doubling of second-quarter profit, driven by strong Asian demand even as the Mideast war disrupted tanker and cargo traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Source: Splash247 — https://splash247.com/maersk-confirms-26-ship-newbuilding-spree/
Tags: Maersk, Shipbuilding, LNG, Container Ships
