Port Report: MSC adds to big ship trove with latest $762m order

Those 11 ships will join another 20 MSC-chartered vessels above 19,000 TEUs in capacity. MSC, which runs the second-largest global container ship fleet, will see its total capacity increase just over 6% through 2021 with the new fleet additions.

MSC’s order follows another one from Evergreen Marine. The Taiwanese carrier confirmed in October that it would go ahead with shipbuilding contracts for six 23,000-TEU vessels at Samsung at an estimated cost of $960 million. The first vessels are expected to be delivered in the second quarter of 2022.  

CMA CGM will take delivery of nine ships in the 22,000-TEU capacity range through the end of 2020. Its OCEAN Alliance partner COSCO Shipping took delivery of six container ships between 19,000 and 21,000 TEUs in capacity this year, adding to the 19 ultra-large container ships it and Orient Overseas Container Line operate.

The vessels are being put into the Asia-North Europe trade lane, which is already suffering from a major capacity glut in ocean shipping. The Freightos Baltic Daily Index for China-North Europe and China-Mediterranean are sitting at six-month lows. 

All in, ocean carriers are expected to add 24 ultra-large container ships to the world fleet before the end of 2020, said research firm Alphaliner, bringing the average size ship on the Asia-Europe trade lane to 17,000 TEUs.

France calls for tax on marine fuels

Tax on shipping follows similar efforts for cars and planes aimed at limiting carbon emissions. (Safety4Sea)

Sulfur scrubbers seen conveying ship speed advantage

Alphaliner says 2M Alliance’s scrubber-equipped container ships will confer advantage. (ShippingWatch)

Cosco’s tanker unit denies shutting satellite data

Shipping firm has been accused of trying to dodge U.S. sanctions by turning off location information. (Lloyd’s List)