China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL) has announced that it has placed an order for eight 13,500 TEU mega box ships from Shanghai Jiangnan Changxing Shipbuilding for more than US$930 million, according to Splash247.
This order follows news that Maersk Line has officially signed a $1.1 billion contract with Hyundai Heavy Industries for nine 14,000 TEU ships, with the option of adding another eight for delivery in 2017.
CSCL said in a statement: “The group positively responds to the development trend for large-scale container vessels in the shipping market, adheres to low-carbon environmental protection initiatives and is committed to adjusting and optimizing the structure of its fleet.
“The vessel acquisition will further help optimise the group’s fleet structure, increase shipment scale, and enhance the group’s comprehensive competitiveness. According to the internal estimation and calculation, the vessel acquisition provides certain risk-resistance and is economically and technologically feasible.”
MSC currently has the largest order book, with 52 ships on order, according to data released by Alphaliner. However, its total TEU fleet capacity is behind its 2M partner Maersk, who currently have more than three million TEU of capacity across its portfolio of mega-ships.
The additional strain this is having on terminals across the world is indisputable, however many terminals globally, particularly those in the US are currently going to great lengths to ensure that their infrastructure is expanded.