Global containership fleet expected to increase by 6 pc

The global containership fleet is expected to increase only by 6.1 per cent in 2009, representing "the lowest annual growth rate recorded by Alphaliner since 2000." The report had predicted at the beginning of the year that the world boxship fleet would expand by a total of 1.85 million TEUs in 2009.
According to Exim News Service, deliveries in 11 months of the year were 247 vessels that added a total of 986,663 TEUs to the world containership fleet.
A further 95,000 TEUs are expected to be delivered this month, which would raise the new capacity in 2009 to 1.08 million TEUs.
It said that 1.84 million TEUs would be delivered in 2010, an increase of 14 per cent over the previous year.
"If the next year’s scrapping rate is as high as what has been recorded in 2009, this could take out 350,000 TEUs, which would bring the growth rate down to 11.4 per cent.
"With delivery deferrals and heavy slippages expected to continue next year, the 2010 fleet capacity growth rate could fall to half of what is currently projected," the Alphaliner report said.
Its latest containe- rship survey shows that 572 ships are currently idled, amounting to a total of 1.52 million TEUs and representing about 11.7 per cent of the world containership fleet, which is described as being "the highest idle rate on record."
"Service rationalisations for the winter slack season contributed to an increase in the number of large ships left without employment," the report elaborated. Some 74 vessels of 5,000 TEUs are now idle.
The "idle fleet is expected to peak in February before receding in March/April when the spring season starts," the report concluded.

(Source: Transort Weekly)