The already bulging order book of container giant MSC continues to grow. The next order has now been placed in China.
Initially, four new container ships of 21,700 TEU each are to be built at the Zhoushan Changhong International Shipyard, with an option for four more. This is the largest order ever for the shipyard and the entire province.
The ships will have dual-fuel propulsion systems and will use LNG as their primary fuel. MSC has already placed several orders with Changhong International: two series of ten with 10,300 and 11,500 TEU in 2023, followed by twelve LNG ships with a capacity of 19,000 TEU in August 2024.
The world’s largest container liner shipping company currently has a fleet of 6.4 million TEU – equivalent to a fifth of its global capacity. With this new order, the order book has grown to more than 130 ships, which will increase MSC’s volume by a further 2.15 million TEU in the coming years. The shipping company founded by Gianluigi Aponte is thus further extending its lead over its international competitors. Maersk, the number 2 in the rankings, can only overtake MSC with its new Gemini partner Hapag-Lloyd.
