Larger ships are coming

Larger ships are coming    Some evidence is emerging of the large amounts of containership capacity due to come into the market.
   Maritime news service Alphaliner said in the first two weeks of April, four carriers took delivery of ships larger than 8,000 TEUs, the latest and biggest being NYK Line's 9,600-TEU NYK Adonis. Hapag-Lloyd also took delivery of its 8,750-TEU Frankfurt Express in the past week.
   More are on the way, with Mediterranean Shipping Co. due to receive two 14,000-TEU vessels this month, in addition to the one it received in March. Six vessels larger than 8,000 TEUs were delivered in March.
   'In April alone, deliveries are expected to reach 150,000 TEUs, the highest monthly level recorded since mid-2008. A total of 16 units of above 5,000 TEUs, all to be handed over in April, have already received service assignments,' Alphaliner said in late March. 'Deliveries of new containerships are expected to surge in the second quarter of 2010 to 430,000 TEUs after the 70 new vessels for 307,000 TEUs recorded in the first quarter. These figures are significantly higher than the levels recorded in the second half of last year, when only 228,000 TEUs per quarter were delivered on average.'