For the first time in years the number of fully cellular container vessels sold for demolition in the first half of 2022 dropped to zero.
The highly remunerative charter & freight markets, which have prompted NOOs and operators to keep trading their older vessels and steer clear of the recycling scene despite attractive demolition prices.
The demolition misery observed in the first half of 2022 follows on from already particularly poor recycling figures recorded in 2021 when only nineteen vessels for a total capacity of 16,500 teu reached the scrapping beaches.
Alphaliner expects that containership demolition sales will remain particularly subdued in the second half of 2022.
The principal reasons for the lack of demolition sales are the continued boiling hot charter and freight markets where vessel owners and liner operators alike can achieve extraordinary profits by trading their ships, particularly the older, free-of-debt units.
Source: Alphaliner