WorldCargo
SHIPPING NEWS
news
The biggest containership ever classed by
Germanischer Lloyd (GL) - the 13,800 TEU
Megaboxer MSC DANIELA - was delivered last
Drewry forecasts
month at the Samsung Heavy Industry Shipyard
in Geoje, Korea. The new ship is exceptional not
only in terms of size, but also in its design aspects.
To meet SOLAS requirements for bridge visibility
on large containerships, the design includes the
gloomy 2009
separation of the deckhouse and engine room, with
Following the unprecedented collapse of Lonrho-backed SAILs, failed in late 2008.
the deckhouse in the forward part of the ship to
the world’s financial markets in Septem- It is clear that 2009 will be an extremely
permit an increase in container capacity and a
reduction in ballast water. In addition, the fuel
ber/October 2008, Drewry Shipping challenging time for the sector with fur-
tanks are located in the area below the deckhouse
Consultants has downward revised its ther casualties a real possibility, the re-
in order to meet international regulations on the
container supply, demand and freight rate port concludes.
protection of fuel tanks. Reduced bending, as well
forecasts for 2009 as well as its estimate Drewry Container Forecaster, published as increased stiffness of the hull, has been realised
for global container traffic growth in four times a year, is available from: Drewry through the use of high tensile steel (HTS), which
2008. Shipping Consultants Ltd, Drewry House,
has allowed the plate thickness to be reduced to
The fourth quarter 2008 edition of Meridian Gate, 213 Marsh Wall, London
allow for a lightweight and strong ship construction.
the Drewry Container Forecaster puts E14 9FJ. Telephone: +44 (0)20 7538
This was necessary to keep the plate and stiffener
global container traffic in 2008 at 0191.E-mail:
dekker@drewry.co.uk.
dimensions at an acceptable level, GL says
152.8M TEU, representing a 7.2% year-
on-year growth, down from the 8.6%
growth rate forecast in the September
report. A meagre growth of just 2.8% is
forecast for 2009.
Trust. Strength. Performance. True Quality.
During the last quarter of 2008, the
report says, carriers did their best to re-
duce capacity through suspension of a
number of high profile east/west serv-
ices. However, Drewry argues that the
gap between supply and demand is still
too big. For the short to medium term,
carriers can at best only stabilise freight
rates, which have recently fallen to un-
commercial levels in the Asia to Europe
trade.
It is evident, says Drewry, that previ-
ous, long-held industry rules have
changed or become skewed. This is be-
cause the downturn happened so dra-
matically that supply/demand mechan-
ics in all trades have faltered at the same
time. “There are no bright lights left for
the industry,” the report says.
The relationship between volume
growth and GDP expansion has also be-
come distorted, differentiated charter
rates currently do not exist and freight
rates are being determined by factors
other than simply falling demand. Car-
riers and alliances are seeking vessel-shar-
ing or service-sharing agreements they
would never have contemplated 12
months ago.
The undertaking of slow-steaming
strategies to save fuel costs has also been
turned on its head by the fall in crude
oil prices and the fact that east-west
strings are now being operated by 10 and
11 ships with extra port calls being added
just to soak up capacity. While this was
mainly confined to the Asia-Europe
trade, carriers are now desperately seek-
ing any means to utilise capacity with-
out physically laying up vessels, the re-
port says.
According to Drewry Container
Forecaster editor Neil Dekker, “Shipping
lines and shipowners are in a precarious
position since they can do almost noth-
ing to determine freight rates, charter
rates and asset values for their ships. Even
at such low prices, it is not a buyer’s
market for potential charterers or ship
purchasers because demand and credit
lines have dried up.
“With no likelihood of significant
cancellations in 2009, the global fleet is
still expected to increase by 12.7% - way
ahead of demand. Even with some ton-
nage taken out of the market in 2010-
Strength.
We control the strength of a Svetruck, customized for your needs
with our expertise. A strong machine designed for its purpose.
12 through cancellations and increased
annual slippage factors, this is not help-
In our manufacturing plant we control all of the processes from construction, fabrication, welding,
ing the global supply/demand balance
painting and assembly using modern techniques and equipment. We are all at your disposal, anytime
to any significant extent. Our supply/
demand index forecasts for the next four
for your control and contact. Forklifts 10-52 t • Logstackers 9-28 t
years are now very pessimistic indeed and
are expected to fall by 7% this year and
by a further 3.6% in 2010,” Dekker said.
There are very few positives at the
moment apart from the fact that bunker
prices have greatly reduced and scrap-
ping levels have increased. Carriers are
continually reassessing their capacity de-
ployment strategies as it seems that the
recent suspension of a number of east-
west strings is still not bringing the sup-
ply/demand balance back into line in
order to stabilise freight rate erosion.
The lay-up of ships is a last course of
action for the industry, Drewry says, but
it will become more of a feature through-
True Quality
out 2009 as cascading of tonnage can no Svetruck AB Box 321, Långgatan 29, SE-341 26 Ljungby, Sweden
longer be seen as an effective capacity
Telephone +46 372 866 00 Telefax +46 372 824 50
www.svetruck.com
management tool.
Four container operators, including
the Chinese company SYMS and the
January 2009 19
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40