According to analyst AXS Alphaliner, the containership fleet is already thought to have grown by 1.29 million teu this year, and it is expected to swell by another 130,000teu over the next two months.

Deliveries in the third quarter of 2010 reached 468,000teu, the highest-ever quarterly level on record, and deliveries in the fourth quarter are expected to reach 233,000teu.

The biggest growth in fleet capacity came in 2008, when vessel owners took delivery of 1.57 million teu of new capacity.

Alphaliner said: “The continued high level of capacity growth remains one of the key concerns for the industry.

“The fleet capacity growth is expected to reach 9.5% after taking into account the 180,000teu deleted this year, both through scrapping and the removal of vessels from the cellular fleet following conversion for other uses.

“Some 276 containerships should be delivered this year, a figure comparable to the 268 units delivered in 2009.

“However, the average size of new ships has increased from last year’s 3,990teu to 5,150teu in 2010.”

And the annual growth in global containership capacity could have been higher if vessel owners had not taken the decision to delay and cancel a record number of deliveries in light of the recession.

The Paris-based analyst said: “A record number of ships has been deferred or delayed over the past two years, due to the financial crisis.

“About 100 ships for 530,000teu delivered in 2010 were initially planned for delivery in 2009, while around 65 ships for 435,000teu, initially planned for delivery in 2010, have been deferred or delayed to 2011 and beyond.”

Next year, net capacity growth is expected to reach 9.1%, with 1.4 million teu of new capacity.

International Freighting Weekly