Global container ship order book to exceed 9 million TEU for the first time

By the end of 2024, the global container ship order book had reached a record 8 million TEU.

The global container ship order book is growing at a record pace. This week, German carrier Hapag-Lloyd ordered a new series of six 17,000-teu container ships, Splash 24/7 reports.

CMA CGM and Evergreen are also planning to place orders for several container ships. Taking into account these contracts, the global order book will reach 9 million TEU.

According to Alphaliner, Evergreen intends to build 11 Megamax container ships with a capacity of 24 thousand TEU. In turn, CMA CGM plans to sign a contract with the Chinese shipyard CSSC for another series of vessels with a capacity of 18 thousand TEU. The French line recently placed an order for twelve 18,000-tonne vessels at the Korean shipyard HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).

MB Shipbroking notes that many orders are being discussed with both Korean and Chinese shipyards. Due to the rather limited demand for tankers, gas carriers and bulk carriers, most shipyards are focused on container ship construction projects.

According to BIMCO, at the end of 2024 the global order book reached 8.3 million TEU, which is a record compared to the previous maximum of 7.8 million TEU at the beginning of 2023. Currently, the capacity of the global container fleet is 31.7 million TEU.

As previously reported by USM, the shipping company Hapag-Lloyd has signed contracts with two Chinese shipyards for the construction of 24 new container ships.