Maersk Line has recently announced that it will be placing a US$1.8 billion order for eleven 19,630 TEU ships, due to be delivered between April 2017 and May 2018, with the possibility of ordering six more ships, according to Market Watch.
PTI previously reported that the container shipping giant had sealed an order for ten 20,000 TEU ships in its drive to dominate trade lanes and boost its market share.
Officer Soren, Chief Operating Officer at Maersk Line, said: “These vessels will help us stay competitive in the Asia-Europe trade and will be key in our strategy to grow with the market.”
In its overall strategy, Maersk Line had outlined a $15 billion capital programme with the purpose of purchasing more containerships and equipment.
It is also keen to reduce its CO2 emissions after announcing that it aims to lower its carbon footprint by as much as 60% per container by 2020.
Maersk’s 2M alliance with container shipping partner MSC recently saw the addition of a new partner, MOL, in order to boost its service-offering along the Asia-ECSA trade route.
It was previously reported that carrier reliability had reached a new high, with Maersk Line maintaining its place as the industry leader with a 4% increase in its average on-time performance of 85% for April, 2015.
This was on the back of a massive increase in its Q1 profits, with an increase of around $1.6 billion.