Global major container shipping companies are preparing more large container ship orders to promote fleet renewal by adopting alternative fuel vessels.
CMA CGM is one of the container shipping giants likely to place newbuilding orders. The company is expected to sign another batch of large dual-fuel container ships. Alphaliner reported that this French container shipping company has issued newbuilding tender documents to Chinese and Korean shipyards for a batch of ships ranging from 17,000 TEU to 24,000 TEU.
CMA CGM currently has 54 container ship orders, including owned and long-term chartered tonnage, with capacities of 18,500 TEU and 24,000 TEU. All these vessels are specified as LNG dual-fuel.
The Marseille-based company is also expected to become the first major carrier to build container ships in India. This follows the Indian government’s commitment to developing its shipbuilding industry through significant investment and subsidies to modernize facilities and expand capacity.
CMA CGM is expected to order at least three gas-fueled feeder container ships from India’s largest commercial shipbuilder, Cochin Shipyard. The company first announced its plan to order container ships in India in May this year.
Cochin Shipyard signed its first-ever container ship newbuilding contract with European container ship operator Samskip in 2023.
The Netherlands-based shipping company placed an order for two hydrogen fuel cell-powered container ships, with the first vessel expected to be delivered later this year. These 500 TEU ships are claimed to be the first container ships capable of operating using green hydrogen.
Earlier this year, Cochin Shipyard signed a cooperation agreement with South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to improve quality standards and provide labor training, procurement, and ship design.
Alphaliner speculates that CMA CGM’s newbuildings in India might use a design based on an existing HHI platform.
CMA CGM has been actively expanding its operations in India, investing in terminals and logistics operations. The company recently transferred the 3,500 TEU “CMA CGM Diamond” and its 2,556 TEU sister ships “CMA CGM Manaus” and “CMA CGM Vitoria” to the Indian flag.
In March this year, CMA CGM Chairman and CEO Rodolphe Saadé also committed to ordering new container ships from US shipyards for its US-flag operations. However, details about CMA CGM’s US plans have not been disclosed.
CMA CGM is one of the few major carriers operating a fleet of US-flag container ships, stemming from its acquisition of the former US container line APL in 2016.
Meanwhile, it is understood that Evergreen Marine is also planning to order new 15,000 TEU dual-fuel container ships.
Evergreen Marine recently received the last ship in a series of 20 conventional fuel container ships ordered in 2021 at South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries, with deliveries starting from 2023.
The company currently has 45 container ship orders ranging from 3,000 TEU to 16,500 TEU, with a total capacity exceeding 700,000 TEU.
The world’s second-largest container shipping company, Maersk, is also rumored to be preparing for a large-scale fleet expansion, planning to order a new generation of LNG dual-fuel container ships.
Sources said the Danish giant plans to order up to 12 vessels with a capacity of at least 18,000 TEU each.
Finally, South Korean container carrier HMM is rumored to have signed Letters of Intent with domestic shipyards for twelve 14,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel New Panamax ships.
Eight of these are expected to be finalized at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, with the remaining four to be built by Hanwha Ocean. It is understood that HMM also plans to order an undisclosed number of smaller ships for its intra-Asia services, with capacities of 1,900 TEU and 3,000 TEU.
Global container ship orderbook has reached a historic high, raising concerns about potential future overcapacity in container shipping tonnage.
The latest industry data shows the current orderbook has reached a record 10.5 million TEU, accounting for approximately 34% of the total capacity of the currently operational fleet.
This expansion comes as the container shipping industry faces a wave of uncertainty, driven by escalating geopolitical tensions, trade disruptions, and shifting demand patterns. Despite these headwinds, cash-rich shipping companies continue to sign substantial newbuilding orders.
Container lines state that their current ordering activity is a strategic move focused on the long term. Most newbuildings—many of which are dual-fuel capable—are intended to replace aging vessels rather than simply adding fleet capacity.
