Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is reportedly up for another round of newbuilding orders as mainline operators rush to beef up their fleets with “green” vessels.
MSC has reportedly asked several South Korean and Chinese shipyards for price quotes for 8,000 TEU ships to be dual-fuelled with methanol or LNG. The number of vessels the Swiss-Italian carrier is ordering has yet to be confirmed.
The world’s largest liner operator MSC already has 20 units of 8,000 TEU LNG dual-fuelled ships under construction, comprising six from Hyundai Heavy Industries (LNG, owned), four (on long-term charter from Danaos Corporation) from DH Shipbuilding (formerly Daehan Shipbuilding) and ten from New Times Shipbuilding.
These 20 boxships are expected for delivery in 2024 and 2025. Vessels in the 8,000 TEU size range are appropriate for the Far East-Persian Gulf lane.
In all, MSC has 122 vessels of 1.56 million TEUs on order, amounting to approximately 31% of its existing fleet of over 5 million TEUs.
As the shipping industry prepares to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, liner operators have been ordering newbuildings propelled by alternative fuels, even though freight rates have been under pressure.
On 26 June, Maersk Line announced it had contracted six 9,000 TEU methanol dual-fuelled ships at Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, bringing to 25 the number of methanol-propelled ships the Danish carrier has on order.
Martina Li
Asia Correspondent
