Feeder orders surge on ageing fleet fears

Concern over the average age of feeder sized vessels, of between 100 and 3,900 teu, has seen a spike in orders for these sizes as carriers look to replace a critical link in the supply chain.

Maritime Strategies International (MSI)’s July Horizon report shows a surge of 230% in feeder vessel orders, a total of just under 100,000 teu, in the second quarter, compared to the three months before, with around 50% of the fleet older than 15 years-old and about half of this tonnage over 20 years-old.

Feeder orders increased substantially with the 1,300-2,900 teu sector showing the major increase in ordering, while the 2,900 to 3,999 teu sector also showed substantial gains with the smaller vessel orders remaining very low.