Containership Orderbook Hits Record High, Driven by LNG Boom
Cubierto por 3 fuentesPublicado
- Puertos y comercio argentinaPedidos de portacontenedores alcanzan récord con impulso en unidades de doble combustible
- CNSS News ChinaContainership orders are surging, closing in on 16 million TEU!
- diario del puertoEl transporte marítimo de contenedores registra unos niveles de capacidad “sin precedentes”
According to data from maritime consultancy Alphaliner, the global containership orderbook recently surpassed 15 million TEU, a record figure for contracted capacity worldwide. The growth is marked by a strong preference among carriers for dual-fuel vessels, particularly those using liquefied natural gas (LNG) as an alternative fuel.
New contracts on the way
The momentum stems largely from orders placed by major operators such as Maersk, Yang Ming, CMA CGM and MSC. Around 40 additional contracts for large vessels are expected before year-end, which could push the total orderbook to nearly 16 million TEU. Among the most notable deals is Maersk's return to the largest vessel segment: the carrier is negotiating exclusively with Chinese shipyards for the construction of 12 LNG dual-fuel vessels of 24,000 TEU, with an option for 12 more, in a deal valued at around $2.88 billion that could rise to $5.76 billion if all options are exercised. These vessels would mark Maersk's first entry into the 24,000 TEU vessel class, surpassing its Triple-E design.
LNG cements itself as the dominant choice
In terms of propulsion, the existing fleet remains largely composed of conventional systems, which account for 88% of total operating capacity, but their share of recent orders fell below 32%. By contrast, 56% of contracted tonnage corresponds to LNG dual-fuel vessels, with an additional 12% designed for methanol. In 2026, LNG orders reached 2.3 million TEU, up from 2 million TEU in the same period of 2025, while demand for methanol-ready vessels has largely stalled.
Freight market under pressure
Alphaliner's October monthly monitor placed contracted capacity at 15.12 million TEU, equivalent to 43.9% of the operating fleet, with projected fleet growth of 9.2% in 2027 and 14.4% in 2028. Adding to this, according to Sea-Intelligence, around 60% of deployed capacity on the Asia-Europe route is now operating, or scheduled to operate, via the Suez Canal rather than the Cape of Good Hope, with greater normalization expected by the first quarter of 2027. Shipbroker Braemar warned that the combination of services returning via Suez with the expanding orderbook “is not an ideal combination for freight rates,” while investment bank Jefferies also voiced caution heading into 2027 over the possibility of fleet growth outpacing cargo demand. Despite these warnings, Alphaliner reported that only 0.8% of the global fleet is currently idle, with freight rates at four-year highs and daily charter rates for some large vessels reaching six-figure sums.
In line with this outlook, a report published in Spain noted that container shipping is currently operating in an unprecedented supply environment, with deployed capacity reaching all-time highs.
