The competitive landscape has changed. MSC has a total capacity of almost 7.5 million TEUs. Meanwhile, CMA CGM is closing the gap with Maersk in terms of fleet size. This raises the prospect of CMA CGM overtaking Maersk. 

The Danish shipping line Maersk has confirmed an order for new vessels, representing a capacity increase of about 10% of the company's total currently operational capacity, following recent market speculation and rumors. As part of our fleet renewal programme, we can confirm that Maersk has ordered 26 large container ships," a Maersk spokesperson stated. The company has not yet issued a public announcement, and details remain based on unofficial reports.

The new vessels

However, the shipping line has confirmed that the new vessels will have a capacity of 18,600 TEU, be equipped with dual-fuel LNG engines, and be delivered between 2029 and 2030. The new ships will be among the largest in the Danish fleet. This is because Maersk has not followed its competitors in using very large container ships that can carry 24,000 TEU. Maersk's largest vessels are the Triple-E class ships, which were introduced between 2013 and 2019. Their capacity ranges from 18,270 to 20,568 TEU, depending on the series.

The  fleet-renewal strategy of Danish shipping

In 2024, the Danish shipping line revealed its fleet-renewal strategy, indicating that new vessels would replace the existing tonnage and capacity. The objective is to "maintain the fleet size at around 4.3 million TEUs." By December 2024, the company had placed orders with three shipyards for 20 new vessels, with a combined capacity of around 300,000 TEUs. The order included six 17,000-TEU vessels, twelve 15,000-TEU vessels, and two 9,000-TEU vessels.

The majority of these vessels were to be constructed in China, 

 The majority of these vessels were to be constructed in China, with the exception of six that were to be built by Hanwha Ocean in South Korea. Previous statements regarding future fleet plans indicated that these vessels would form part of a programme totalling 800,000 TEUs across 50 to 60 ships, while the remaining 500,000 TEUs would be covered by long-term charter agreements.

Related: Maersk and Lloyd’s Register are working together on nuclear ship propulsion

 The landscape of competition has undergone a shift. 

However, the competitive landscape has shifted since then. MSC alone has reached a total capacity of nearly 7.5 million TEUs. CMA CGM is also closing the gap with Maersk in terms of fleet size. This raises the prospect of CMA CGM overtaking Maersk to take second place in the global rankings by both vessel count and capacity.

#CMA CGM # MSC #Maersk #Danish shipping # Hanwha Ocean # China # new major orde # large containerships