Maersk reportedly planning major containership order expansion

Maersk is reportedly preparing to place a substantial series of new containership orders, a move that could potentially double the Danish carrier's existing newbuilding pipeline, gCaptain reported. Analysts at Linerlytica observed that the company has been highly active in the charter market recently, aiming to secure additional tonnage to maintain service coverage as it manages vessel redeliveries. This activity comes amid a period where the carrier faces a limited number of new vessel deliveries scheduled over the next 12 months. To address this capacity shortage, the company is expected to initiate a significant newbuilding programme for delivery starting in late 2029.

Market analysts provide varying assessments of the scale of this potential expansion. Linerlytica calculations indicate that Maersk currently has 1.5 million TEU on order, representing approximately 32% of its existing fleet capacity. Meanwhile, analysts at Alphaliner suggest the orderbook could be even larger, noting that the carrier has purportedly invited shipyards in China and Korea to submit offers for 40 ultra-large vessels. This potential mega-order, comprising ships between 18,000 and 24,000 TEU, could add roughly 840,000 TEU to the orderbook, positioning Maersk with the second-largest newbuilding programme in the industry, trailing only MSC.

The specific details regarding recent shipyard agreements remain subject to industry speculation. While some reports linked Maersk to orders for 24,000 TEU ships at Jiangsu Yangzijiang, 19,000 TEU units at Hengli HI, and 18,600 TEU units at New Times, Alphaliner suggests that the Yangzijiang agreement might instead involve CMA CGM. The latter has been identified as a likely candidate for a letter of intent for twelve 24,000 TEU dual-fuel vessels at the shipyard. Yangzijiang has previously constructed similar tonnage for CMA CGM, with the most recent series of Jacques Saade Mk-III class vessels scheduled for completion by March 2028.