Maersk has confirmed the order of 26 large container ships of 18,600 TEUs as part of its fleet renewal program. The new units will be equipped with dual-fuel engines capable of operating with liquefied natural gas (LNG) and their deliveries are scheduled for 2029 and 2030, according to information provided this Friday by the Danish company.
The confirmation comes after several days of information in the maritime market about a new round of ship contracting by Maersk. El Estrecho Digital published on September 16 that various sector sources placed the shipping company in front of a new construction program that could reach up to 42 container ships with an approximate value of $8.9 billion.
The information handled then, coming from Alphaliner, MB Shipbrokers, and other specialized market sources, contemplated a possible combination of twelve units of around 24,000 TEUs, another 24 of approximately 19,000 TEUs, and six ships of 18,600 TEUs. The operations were in the negotiation phase and had not received official confirmation from the shipping company or the involved shipyards.
The announcement known this Friday specifies for the first time a part of the program directly from Maersk, although with a different configuration than what the market intermediaries had initially indicated. The company confirms 26 units, all of them with an individual capacity of 18,600 TEUs, which represents a total nominal capacity of 483,600 TEUs.
Maersk has not communicated at this time which shipyard or shipyards will build these 26 container ships nor has it provided the economic amount of the contracts. Market sources cited by specialized media had related part of the negotiations in recent days with Asian builders, including Hengli Heavy Industries and New Times Shipbuilding, but the shipping company has not confirmed these awards.
The company had already contracted in February eight container ships of 18,600 TEUs from New Times Shipbuilding, also with dual-fuel engines and deliveries scheduled for 2029 and 2030. That series includes ships of 366 meters in length and 58.6 meters in beam, designed to provide various deployment possibilities within Maersk's maritime network.
The information that appeared this week also pointed to negotiations for higher capacity units. The program published by El Estrecho Digital included twelve container ships of about 24,000 TEUs, while other sector sources talked about a combination of around 40 ships between units of at least 24,000 TEUs and vessels situated in the range of 18,000 to 20,000 TEUs.
Therefore, the confirmation of the 26 ships of 18,600 TEUs does not yet imply the full confirmation of the program of up to 42 units that had been reported by market sources. Maersk has not communicated whether conversations continue for container ships of approximately 24,000 TEUs nor has it specified whether there will be new additional contracts to those announced this Friday.