MSC Adds 20 More Megamax Newbuilds at Hengli Heavy, Expanding Order Book to 62 Vessels
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Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) ordered 20 additional 24,000 TEU megamax containerships from the Chinese shipyard Hengli Heavy Industries, located in Dalian. The deal adds 480,000 TEU to the carrier's order book and raises to 62 the total number of vessels above 20,000 TEU that MSC has on order at that shipyard.
A partnership growing since 2024
According to consultancy Linerlytica, the new order did not include details on the contract value, delivery dates or propulsion specifications. MSC has been expanding its program with Hengli since the two companies signed a strategic cooperation agreement in 2024, when the carrier initially ordered ten 21,000 TEU vessels and ten 24,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel vessels, before adding a further six 22,000 TEU units last year.
The largest fleet in the industry
According to Alphaliner data cited in late September, the fleet operated by MSC stood at around 7.4 million TEU, equivalent to 21.5% of global liner capacity, with a further 2.94 million TEU on order. Combining operated fleet and vessels pending delivery, the carrier had already surpassed 10 million TEU in total.
Record high in the global order book
MSC's order pushed the global containership order book to 16.2 million TEU, equivalent to 46.5% of the existing fleet, the highest level since 2009, according to Linerlytica. Meanwhile, South Korea's HMM also expanded its fleet with a contract for eight 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel vessels at HD Hyundai Samho and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, intended for its Far East-India-Mediterranean service; Seatrade Maritime estimated the deal's value at around $1.5 billion, while Splash247 put it at 1.92 trillion South Korean won, equivalent to $1.44 billion.
Low scrapping rates
HMM also acquired, through resale agreements, four feeder vessels: according to Seatrade Maritime these were three 2,900 TEU units and one 1,700 TEU unit, while Splash247 reported them as three 2,800 TEU units and one 1,700 TEU unit. With this latest addition, HMM's total investments this year in fleet expansion, logistics infrastructure and future technologies reached around 6 trillion won, more than $4.5 billion, according to a statement from the carrier. Seatrade Maritime also noted that vessel scrapping rates remain at low levels, with data from broker Braemar showing global fleet growth of more than 1 million TEU since January, against just 40,000 TEU scrapped over the same period.
