Peter T. Leach | Sep 28, 2011 9:59AM EDT
Maersk Line doesn’t expect the 20 giant new container ships it has ordered to flood the market, nor does it expect the ships to become the new standard on the Asia-Europe trade lane, Reuters reported.
The world’s largest container line will receive the first of the 18,000 20-foot container equivalent unit ships in July 2013 and the last in mid-2015. Some analysts warn the vessels, known as Triple-E ships, could flood the market, especially on the Asia-Europe trade where they will be deployed.
"Generally, it will be only very few companies who will go for these ships," Soren Andersen, head of Maersk's vessel management team, told a conference in Copenhage. "I don't see a new industry standard emerging."
Andersen said this was because "money was harder to come by" now than before and few rivals had the financial muscle that Maersk has to place such big orders.
"We have the market share size that justifies these ships ... We have the financial strength to do this," Andersen said. He said Maersk's order for the 18,000 TEU ships did not amount to "aggressive expansion," which he said some had blamed it for, as it did not exceed expectations for market growth.
"We believe we are below the average of our competitors in (fleet) growth over the next three years and below the market growth," Andersen said. "I cannot make the figures show that we are making an aggressive market expansion ... We have tried to be conservative, and that is what is needed."
-- Contact Peter T. Leach at pleach@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter @petertleach.
