SIMIC

THE newbuilding market has been going crazy as major container liners have moved forward with their newbuilding plans, reports Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide.
Broker Allied Shipbroking declared that "following on from Mediterranean Shipping Company's (MSC) US$1.2 billion order last week, the third largest container carrier, CMA CGM, announced investment in 12 new vessels of its own. CMA CGM has opted for methanol-powered ships, as opposed to the more common LNG fuel option."
"Looking back over the past year, a considerable number of containership and pure car and truck carriers (PCTC) have been ordered with these fuel sources in comparison to other types of vessel, but not exclusively so, with Mitsui and Cargill joining forces to order two methanol-fueled bulk carriers," said Allied Shipbroking. Although LNG does not have the same green potential as methanol or ammonia as a fuel source, it seems almost certain that orders will increasingly be for vessels with these fuel types as regulation and ESG pressures push owners away from conventional fuel types," said the broker.
"Last week also saw orders placed for 10 MR tankers, from three buyers across three shipbuilders. Those to be scrubber fitted and built in South Korea, are reportedly priced at around US$4 million above the vessels order at Chinese shipbuilders without being scrubber fitted."