The huge newbuilding programme of MSC, and the carrier’s preference for scrubber-fitted tonnage, has pushed the proportion of the container shipping fleet running with fuel exhaust systems to a new high.
Scrubber-fitted container capacity reached 10.3 Mteu in January, a rise of 1.8 Mteu in one year. This translates to 36.4% of the container fleet, up from 32.4% twelve months earlier. It coincides with an increase in the price premium between high and low sulphur fuel.
While the world’s largest carrier was not the only operator to increase its scrubber fleet, the Geneva-based line contributed more than 890,000 teu in extra exhaust-fitted tonnage through an approximate 50/50 mix of newbuilding deliveries and second hand purchases.
The Geneva-based carrier now has 54% of its fleet fitted with scrubbers. This compares to 46% twelve months earlier but on an exponentially larger fleet.
Source: Alphaliner
