Over the past year, the number of container ships over 8,000 TEU employed on intra-European routes has nearly doubled, from 9 to 16 units. This represents a 78% jump in a market where the average size of container ships normally stands at 1,870 TEU.
MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) confirms itself as the driving force behind this push towards large vessels, operating nine of the sixteen large ships (compared to six out of nine a year ago). Among its new additions are the MSC GISELLE (9,411 TEU), the MSC ELMA (9,408 TEU), the sister ships MSC LAGOS X and MSC NAIROBI X (9,403 TEU each), and the MSC BRITTANY (9,288 TEU).
COSCO SHIPPING Lines has doubled its presence to two units, while Hapag-Lloyd AG continues to operate only one large ship, the SOFIA EXPRESS (8,750 TEU).
The consultancy firm notes that most of the largest intra-European ships (14 out of 16) operate in the Northern Europe – Mediterranean service segment, due to the relatively long distance compared to purely intra-regional traffic.
