Depending on the source, the global container ship orderbook is estimated at between 9.80 Mteu and 10.40 Mteu. This discrepancy stems from how conservatively or optimistically you count orders that have not yet been confirmed through reliable sources.
Alphaliner estimates that the container ship orderbook currently stands at 9.95 Mteu, with any significant vessel order likely to push the numbers past the 10 Mteu milestone.
In terms of absolute size (TEU), the newbuilding pipeline had already surpassed the former all-time record of 7.12 Mteu, set in June 2008, when it reached 7.19 Mteu in July 2022.
Since mid-2024, carriers and non-operating owners have contracted nearly 600 additional newbuildings. After accounting for failed orders and the many ships that have entered service since then, this equals a net orderbook addition of around 2.80 Mteu.
With an average age of 13.7 years (11 years when weighted by TEU), the global fleet is neither particularly young nor old. However, certain segments, particularly mid-sized ships, are aging rapidly.
With the need to decarbonize marine transport and reduce the industry’s environmental footprint, the market requires new, fuel-efficient ships that run on alternative fuels.
Alphaliner also expects that carriers will pursue the easiest opportunities to improve energy efficiency. The most straightforward way to cut emissions per TEU-mile is to reduce speed, and every knot of extra slow steaming increases global tonnage demand.
Source: Alphaliner
