Containership deliveries smash records

Just 10 months into 2024, shipyards’ deliveries of containerships have reached a new annual record. A total of 410 ships with a capacity of 2.5m teu have been delivered, surpassing the previous full-year high of 2.3m teu in 2023, according to data from shipping organisation BIMCO.

Another 0.5m teu is scheduled to be delivered during the rest of 2024, driving deliveries for the year close to 3m teu. 

With minimal scrapping this year, the container fleet now stands at an all-time high of 30.4m teu, having grown by almost a third in the 2020s. 

“Despite the rapid expansion of the fleet, owners continue to add orders for new ships. So far this year, contracting is already more than double that of last year’s total and 286 ships with a capacity of 3.3m teu have been added to the orderbook,” said Niels Rasmussen, chief shipping analyst at BIMCO, yesterday. In the intervening 24 hours, Splash has reported on a further 29 boxship orders. 

Alphaliner data shows show that nearly half of the ships on order among the big 10 liners will actually be replacement tonnage.

Data from Greece’s Xclusiv Shipbrokers shows the current orderbook to fleet ratio in terms of teu stands at 24.9%, with 39% of containerships ordered in 2024 scheduled for delivery in 2028 or beyond.