Once mega ship craze passes, expect a feeder ship boom, says Braemar

Time:2011-07-12 Browse:52 Author:RISINGSUN

CONTAINER shipping lines will take in record-breaking tonnage next year, with 59 of the 230 ships to be delivered in the 10,000-TEU class, which will spark more interest in fresh orders for smaller feeders, according to Braemar Seascope`s Containership Fleet Statistics.

Braemar said investment in smaller containerships has been lacklustre, but now expects much interest in feeder tonnage once the current cycle of investment in postpanamax ships has waned.


Containerships of 10,000 TEU or more comprise 49 per cent of the global orderbook, reported Newark`s Journal of Commerce. By contrast, containerships up to 5,100 TEU represent 20 per cent.


The report said carriers are scheduled to receive 1.55 million TEU, increasing available capacity to 16.8 million TEU, which surpasses the 2007 record growth of 1.52 million TEU.


As most mega ships are on the Asia-Europe route, the influx of ultra-large capacity ships next year would be enough to create another five loops, each with ten 13,000-TEU vessels, said the Braemar report, concluding that feeder ships would then be needed to service them.