UK shipbroker Clarkson Research Services has reported that MSC will be adding more capacity to its fleet when it takes delivery of six dual-fuel box ships in 2024/5.
The 16 000-TEU vessels will be manufactured by Chinese shipbuilder Dalian, and are said to herald a breakaway from conventional carrier designs.
They will be capable of running on ammonia as well as liquid natural gas.
News of the newbuilds comes in the wake of MSC overtaking Maersk as a leading line last year, following the addition of 411 000 TEUs to its existing capacity, mainly through the acquisition of used vessels.
The four ships it bought in November saw the Swiss-run line expand its fleet by 10.7% to an overall capacity of 4 266 805 TEUs.
In addition to its November’s purchase, MSC has added 124 used vessels to its fleet since 2020.
In addition to its capacity expansion overshadowing its nearest rival, MSC now has an order book of 1.1 million TEUs in capacity coming through – more than Maersk or any other line.
