11 October (Lloyd's List) - MAERSK and Ocean Network Express both appear to be considering more orders for containership newbuildings as they seek to boost their alternative-fuel vessel fleets.
According to Alphaliner, Maersk is in the market for a new series of sub-panamax dual-fuel methanol containerships. They will likely replace earlier generation tonnage in the world’s second-largest containership operator’s global feeder network.
Maersk is said to be mulling up to 15 ships of 3,500 teu capacity, which could be ordered via a tender process. Several experienced shipyards in China, Japan and South Korea are understood to be in the running for the new order. Maersk has been approached for comment.
Methanol trailblazer Maersk was the first containership operator to order dual-fuel methanol newbuildings in 2021. It has a total of 24 such vessels on order. Earlier this year, it took delivery of the first ever methanol-fuelled containership, the 2,100 teu Laura Maersk (IMO: 9944546), which has just gone in to service on a Germany to Scandinavia feeder service.
On Monday, October 9, the first vessel in Maersk’s series of 16,200 teu dual-fuel methanol containerships was floated out of drydock by its builder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. The unnamed ship is expected to enter service in early 2024 as the first methanol-fuelled boxship to operate in a deep-sea container line service.
A shipbroking source contacted by Lloyd’s List was not surprised at Maersk’s call for additional newbuildings. While it is the second-largest container line operator, after Mediterranean Shipping Co, the broker said its orderbook is relatively small compared with its biggest competitors. MSC’s orderbook, providing a combined 1.6m teu of capacity, is almost four times times larger in capacity terms than Maersk’s orderbook.
Unlike its competition, Maersk’s backlog of newbuildings is comprised entirely of dual-fuel methanol vessels. Most other operators have ordered either conventional fuel, liquefied natural gas, methanol fuel or ammonia-ready tonnage, or a combination of all four fuel types.
According to data tracked by Lloyd’s List, around 50% of the total containership newbuilding orderbook, in terms of ship numbers, now comprises alternative-fuel capable tonnage. The majority of orders placed in recent months have been of dual-fuel methanol type.
Meanwhile, Ocean Network Express is understood to be in the process of ordering a further 10 neo-panamax containerships. In May 2022 and March this year, the company ordered a total of 20 vessels of this capacity at South Korean and Japanese shipyards.
“The carrier has asked Chinese, Japanese and South Korean yards to offer building slots for five to 10 compact neo-panamax ships,” said Alphaliner.
ONE has requested quotes for both conventional-fuel and dual-fuel methanol propulsion vessels of 13,000 teu. Should the company opt for methanol-fuel specification vessels, they will be the first such ships to have been ordered by ONE, which is the world’s sixth-largest operator of containerships.
Its 20 ships on order were specified to methanol and ammonia-ready specification and, as such, will operate on conventional fuel until such time as they are retrofitted to operate on either of the alternative fuels.
Neo-panamax class containerships are more operationally flexible than ultra-large boxships, with capacities of up to 24,000 teu, which are mainly restricted to Asia-Europe services. Neo-panamax vessels can be deployed in a number of trades, including Asia to the US east coast, South America or South and West Africa.
