Global box fleet capacity expected to grow by 7.3 pc

The world's total containership fleet capacity is expected grow to 13.26 million TEU by the end of the year, down from the 14.02 million TEU forecast in January, says the Shipping Gazette citing Paris-based AXS-Alphaliner.

This would mean a year-on-year growth rate of 7.3 per cent for 2009, which would be far lower than the 13.4 per cent growth expected. In August, London shipbroker Clarkson estimated containership fleet growth would be 9.7 per cent in 2009.

"The revised growth rate is the lowest logged during this decade. The lower growth rate is due to the significant slippage of new vessel deliveries as well as record scrapping rates," said Alphaliner.

Based on the data it has compiled, 190 container ships were delivered up to the end of August this year, adding a total of 784,000 TEU in capacity to the global box fleet.
It said that scrapping for the year has reached 145 ships with a combined capacity of 275,000 TEU.

AXS-Alphaliner estimates that the total global capacity of full year deliveries "could reach 1.25 million TEU, while scrapping could top 350,000 TEU," it said.

"The resulting net rise in the overall cellular fleet in 2009 is expected to reach 900,000 TEU, with about 760,000 TEU of new capacity originally due in 2009 deferred to subsequent years," it added.

(Source: China Daily)