Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd entered the charter market to expand the Gemini fleet
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have become more active in the charter market, and the two companies are preparing to launch the "Gemini Partnership" program in February.
"Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are particularly keen to secure additional capacity ahead of the launch of the Gemini partnership, with Maersk in particular making a belated effort to narrow the huge lead Mediterranean shipping has built over the past four years," Linerlytica noted this week.
Mediterranean Shipping (MSC) overtook Maersk as the top liner operator in the 2022 ranking and has been relentlessly extending its lead, increasing the size of the Swiss-Italian shipping company's fleet to more than 6 million TEUs through a large number of new ship orders and pre-owned ship purchases. Far more than the 3.4 million TEUs proposed to be operated by the Gemini alliance.
Last month, Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc revealed that the company hopes to order or lease 800,000 TEU of LNG dual-fuel vessels this year, which will be delivered between 2026 and 2030. Of these, 300,000 TEUs will be owned.
Maersk has also ordered 18 16,000 teu vessels from Hanwha Shipping, New Times Shipbuilding and Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, with each shipyard producing six vessels. The orders come with an option to order 10 more ships.
Hapag-lloyd reportedly plans to order ships of 15,000 to 16,000 TEUs and 10 ships of 8,000 to 9,000 TEUs. Major shipyards in South Korea and China have been invited to submit bids.
"Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are particularly keen to secure additional capacity ahead of the launch of the Gemini partnership, with Maersk in particular making a belated effort to narrow the huge lead Mediterranean shipping has built over the past four years," Linerlytica noted this week.
Mediterranean Shipping (MSC) overtook Maersk as the top liner operator in the 2022 ranking and has been relentlessly extending its lead, increasing the size of the Swiss-Italian shipping company's fleet to more than 6 million TEUs through a large number of new ship orders and pre-owned ship purchases. Far more than the 3.4 million TEUs proposed to be operated by the Gemini alliance.
Last month, Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc revealed that the company hopes to order or lease 800,000 TEU of LNG dual-fuel vessels this year, which will be delivered between 2026 and 2030. Of these, 300,000 TEUs will be owned.
Maersk has also ordered 18 16,000 teu vessels from Hanwha Shipping, New Times Shipbuilding and Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, with each shipyard producing six vessels. The orders come with an option to order 10 more ships.
Hapag-lloyd reportedly plans to order ships of 15,000 to 16,000 TEUs and 10 ships of 8,000 to 9,000 TEUs. Major shipyards in South Korea and China have been invited to submit bids.
