Containership newbuilding orders jumped by 139.5 percent reaching 671,641 TEU in 2017, compared to only 280,480 TEU ordered in 2016, after adjustments for order cancellations, Alphaliner revealed.
During the year a total of 109 units were ordered, up from 75 orders placed in 2016. However, the capacity total is still far away from the 2.2 million TEU contracted in 2015, when 248 new containerships were ordered.
At the time, many ship owners rushed to take advantage before the IMO NOx Tier III requirements, which make ships more expensive to build, came into effect for vessels with a keep-laying date after December 31, 2015.
Alphaliner informed that, despite the increase, last year’s order volume saw the orderbook-to-fleet ration fall from 15.7 percent at the end of 2016 to its current value of 12.6 percent.
At 1.19 million TEU and 160 units handed over for the full year, the total capacity of ships delivered during 2017 “clearly exceeded the aforementioned vessel ordering activity,” Alphaliner indicated.
The number represents a rise of 26.6 percent compared to a total of 944,485 TEU and 146 containerships delivered during 2016.