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Ocean Carriers Reactivate Some Idle Box Ships |
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Wednesday, 10 March 2010 |
 Ocean carriers are re-activating increasing numbers of laid-up container ships to keep pace with growing cargo volume on key liner trade routes.
Laid-up ships are returning to active service with the introduction of
new services, capacity upgrades on a few "loops" and additional extra
slow steaming, according to Alphaliner, the Paris-based consultancy.
This will lead to employment of about 40 additional vessels of over
3,500 20-foot equivalent units capacity by the end of April, with more
than 15 ships drawn from the pool of idled vessels.
The remainder will consist of shipyard deliveries and vessels being
freed up by their current charterers.
"Carriers are gearing up for the summer shipping season with optimism
nurtured by a revived demand in most main trade lanes," according to
Alphaliner.
Charter ships of 4,000-5,000 TEUs are becoming harder to find after a
wave of chartering in the past few weeks.
Several carrier-controlled vessels of 4,000-7,000 TEUs are laid up but
some could be re-activated at short notice if cargo demand warrants
their return to service.
The carrier-operated idled fleet has dropped from just over one million
TEUs to 630,000 TEUs over the past twelve months, and the figure could
fall below 350,000 TEUs in the coming two months as lines re-active
unemployed vessels.
Carriers have shrunk their idled fleet by returning surplus tonnage when
charters expire, and selling or scrapping older ships.
The total idle fleet, including charter vessels, stood at 1.24 million
TEUs on March 1, the lowest level since July 2009, Alphaliner said.
The unemployed fleet could fall below one million TEUs within the next
two months as new services and additional demand created by extra slow
steaming continue to absorb surplus tonnage and some older 2,500-4,000
TEUs vessels are scrapped.
Source: Journal of Commerce
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